THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


Manolia  at  Tallulah  Falls. 


OB, 


GEORGIA    HUNTSMAN 


AUGUSTA: 
McKINNE     &    HALL, 

1854. 


DEDICATION. 


WHENEVER  the  public  is  addressed,  either  by 
speech,  lecture,  or  through  the  press ;  the  first  and 
highest  object  to  be  attained  is,  to  induce  thought 
and  investigation ;  and,  if  we  are  to  fall  short  of 
its  accomplishment,  the  effort  had  better  not  have 
been  undertaken ;  information  may  even  be  im 
parted,  at  times,  (which  is  always  desirable,)  in  so 
prosaic  a  style,  as  to  fail  in  accomplishing  the 
main  desideratum.  This  effort  has  been  under 
taken  from  the  solicitations  of  the  wife  of  my  bo 
som,  and  the  mother  of  my  offspring,  and  if  the 
effusion,  (written  as  hastily  as  an  epistle,)  has  any 
claim  to  merit,  she  has  elicited  it ;  and  to  her,  we 
dedicate  it ;  we,  therefore,  sow  to  the  winds,  and 
we  leave  it  to  the  reader  to  gather,  whether  of 

tares  or  of  good  grain. 

THE  AUTHOR. 

(3) 


MANOLIA; 

OR, 

THE  VALE  OF  TALLULAH. 


CHAPTER  I. 

FROM  that  eventful  period,  when  our  first  parents 
were  expelled  from  the  garden  of  Eden,  to  the 
present  time,  their  offspring  have  ever  manifested 
an  eagerness  after  something  not  attainable ;  and, 
when  the  hopes  entertained  at  one  period  of  our 
existence  are  realized,  new  thirsts  are  created, 
and  higher  hopes,  and  more  exalted  aspirations 
excited,  until,  in  the  vale  of  life,  if  success  and 
triumph  should  attend  our  journeyings ;  it  would 
then,  even,  be  with  us,  as  it  was  with  the  eastern 
conqueror,  overwhelmed  with  grief  for  new  thea 
tres,  upon  which  to  push  his  conquests.  This 
characteristic  is  stamped  upon  every  condition  and 
pursuit  of  life. 

1*  (5) 


6  MANOLIA;  OR, 

The  affluent,  living  in  a  metropolis,  luxuriating 
every  day  upon  the  bounties  of  every  clime  which 
the  physical  appetite  craves,  and  banqueting 
upon  the  exhilarating  drinks  of  the  islands,  and 
the  intellectual  thirstings  overwhelmed  amidst 
"  the  feast  of  reason,  and  the  flow  of  soul ;"  and 
continually  surrounded  by  a  "concord  of  sweet 
sounds,"  surpassing  even  Wirt's  description,  as 
having  been  cherished  on  the  beautiful  island  in 
the  Ohio.  All,  all  these,  with  the  luxuries  of  the 
nobleman's  parlor,  we  are  made  to  renounce ;  for 
after  a  time  they  all  clog,  and  we  involuntarily 
turn  from  the  conventional  observances  of  fashion 
able  depravity,  as  realized  among  the  excessive 
autocratic  planters!  the  busy  marts  of  com 
merce  !  the  political  arena  of  hirelings — vampires 
feeding  upon  government  patronage,  with  their 
constructive  salaries  !  The  Adelphi  of  secret  con 
claves,  with  their  hebdomadal  and  mensiversary 
banquetings,  which,  with  their  five  secret  signs  of 
recognition,  constituting  their  badge  of  secrecy ! 
their  puerilities  only  adapted,  in  republic  America, 
to  boys  or  young  collegians,  in  which  to  cultivate 
lasting  ties  of  friendship  and  reminiscences;  but  in 
the  despotic  governments  of  the  old  world,  where 
they  were  instituted,  they  serve  to  plot  treasons, 
and  evade  the  vigilance  of  the  rapacious  authori 
ties.  We  would  here  take  occasion  to  refer  to  the 


THE  VALE  OP  TALLULAH.  7 

K.  A.  Soc.  of  C.  C.,  as  a  striking  exception  to  our  re 
marks  of  censure,  being  pre-eminently  adapted  to 
the  cultivation  of  the  social  and  mental  suscepti 
bilities. 

Even  the  more  rational  acquisitions,  attainable 
only  in  the  laboratory  and  lecture  room,  are  all 
renounced ;  and  our  eyes  and  affections,  with  tele 
graphic  despatch,  stop  nowhere  short  of  the 
"freeman's  stronghold,"  "  nature's  -bulwarks,"  the 
"juvenescent  founts,"  the  exhilarating,  elasticity- 
imparting  atmosphere;  the  deep,  green  valleys, 
scolloped  by  the  silvery,  dashing,  headlong  ocean- 
bound  torrents,  and  the  far-away  blue  acclivities 
of  a  thousand  summits,  presented  at  one  view, 
rising  one  above  the  other,  in  one  direction, 
with  the  ocean  view  in  another  direction,  stretch 
ing  far  away,  illimitable  in  extent,  as  viewed  from 
Rockcliff's  summit,  at  the  junction  of  the  Tallu- 
lah  and  Chatooga  rivers  at  the  head  of  the  Tu- 
galo.* 

*  Why  termed  ocean  view?  At  times  the  optical  delusion  is 
BO  complete,  that  involuntarily  we  cast  our  eyes  over  the  vast 
expanse  of  water — as  we  suppose  it  to  be — resembling  some 
beautiful  lake  or  inland  sea,  in  search  of  some  craft  that  may 
be  borne  upon  its  billows ; — and  the  first  time  we  witnessed 
this  unrivalled  delusion,  afar  off,  in  the  direction  of  the  Atlan 
tic,  we  beheld  a  black  volume  of  smoke,  curling  upwards,  with 
the  forced  rapidity  and  blackness,  so  characteristic  of  an  ocean 
steamer. 


8  MANOLIA;   OK, 

Ah!  methinks  the  involuntary  exclamation  from 
every  tongue  would  be :  to  the  mountains !  to  the 
mountains  we  must  go.  Ah  1  Yes ;  only  in  their 
midst  can  we  be  fitted  for  degrees  more  honor 
able  and  magnifying  than  the  most  stable  ever 
confessed  by  the  schools  of  literature  and  science. 

Impressed  by  these  sensible  truths,  was  the  ever- 
to-be-venerated  Theophilus  Neopold,  whose  wis 
dom  and  versatility  of  acquirements  ever  banished 
loneliness  from  his  presence.  Some  of  the  fasti 
dious,  possessing  no  resources  within  themselves, 
charged  him  with  being  a  recluse ;  wanting  in  the 
elements  to  appreciate  society ;  not  so,  however ; 
having  drank  deep  at  the  founts  of  the  two  favorite 
literary  institutions  of  the  two  empire  states,  north 
and  south,  Union  and  Franklin  colleges,  he  con 
stituted  the  most  philosophical  society  wherever 
he  went,  with  his  library,  accompanied  by  his 
charming  wife  and  inimitable  daughter,  whose 
charms  and  symmetrical  proportions  of  mind  and 
body,  contributed  in  no  small  degree  in  elevating 
the  father  to  the  high  order  of  dignity  which  he 
was  possessed  of  by  nature.  An  individual  may, 
in  early  life,  be  the  claimant  of  what  the  world 
calls  "finished,"  both  in  acquirements  and  ad 
dress  ;  but  after  all  of  what  may  be  obtained  from 
the  schools ;  and,  after  association  in  the  world's 
midst,  an  additional  lustre  may  yet  be  acquired  ; 


THE   VALE   OF  TALLULAH.  9 

and  it  will  ever  tell,  even  to  the  less  intelligent 
portion  of  the  world. 

The  parents,  in  harmonious  unison,  sought  re 
pose,  and  mutually  grew  sick  of  the  gorgeous 
pageantry  of  every  department  of  life  which  we 
have  already  made  allusion  to.  They  had  heard 
of  "  Terrosa's  wilds,"  so  called  by  the  aborigines, 
meaning  the  terrible;  and  it  was  to  this  wild,  soli 
tary  region  of  country  they  directed  their  journey, 
in  search  of  nature's  premium  exhibition;  and 
here  it  was  that  they  found  it. 

We  read  much  of  the  imposing  grandeur  of 
Egypt's  pyramids :  Pompeii's  columns ;  the  tun 
nels  of  England  and  America;  the  "cloud-capped" 
towers  of  St.  Peter's  and  St.  Paul's ;  but  Tallulah's 
excavation  is  the  crowning  work  of  nature's  giant 
workman,  which,  when  viewed,  thrills  our  blood, 
and  magnifies  the  most  exalted  conceptions  that 
may  have  ever  been  engendered  from  all  other 
teachings  of  the  great  "  I  Am."  0,  God !  may 
Paradise  lost  be  eventually  regained,  that  thy 
children  may  be  elevated  to  thy  kingdom  for  once, 
to  behold,  and  to  have  revealed  unto  them  the 
elements  used,  and  the  machinery  with  which  thou 
hast  fashioned,  and  wrought  out  thy  wonderful 
mechanism. 

Archimedes,  the  boast  of  the  world's  mechanics, 
asked  but  for  a  resting-place  to  fix  the  pivot  of 


10  MANOLIA;   OR, 

his  lever,  and  lie  would  throw  the  world,  and  all 
therein,  out  of  its  orbit.  It  might  be  answered : 
the  stable  sun  I  the  fixed  stars !  and  those  planets, 
more  massive  than  our  own  beloved  earth,  have 
been  furnished  I  Then,  I  suppose,  the  philoso 
pher's  lever  is  too  short.  Let  him  be  furnished 
with  one  fully  commensurate  in  length  and 
strength  to  the  enterprise,  and  behold  how  soon, 
after  he  has  planted  it  upon  its  fulcrum,  the 
rotund  motion  of  our  ponderous  globe,  obeying 
his  Maker's  laws — has  knocked  into  the  world  of 
imponderables,  with  its  mighty  force,  "  Old  Hark 
Ye  Maids,"  together  with  all  of  his  wire-pullers, 
and  lever- workers,  fixtures,  and  appliances.  Feeble 
man!  how  strange  that  thy  "ipse  dixits"  should 
have  made  so  many  proselytes. 


THE  VALE  OF  TALLULAH.  11 


CHAPTER  II. 

THE  father  of  our  heroine,  upon  reaching  the 
point  he  had  sought,  located  his  wife  and  daughter 
in  the  vicinity,  and  went  himself  on  foot  in  search 
of  a  pioneer;  many  of  whom  had  emigrated  to 
this  country  before  the  Indians  had  left  for  their 
western  home,  and  were  supposed  to  be  as  fami 
liar  with  all  of  the  wilds  and  hidden  recesses,  as 
the  Indians  were ;  the  latter  having  mostly  emi 
grated  after  ratifying  a  treaty  of  their  territory 
to  the  state,  moving  far  away  to  the  west,  beyond 
the  "  father  of  waters,"  as  they  termed  the  Missis 
sippi  river ;  but  some  few  of  the  more  patriotic  of 
the  tribe  still  lingered  in  the  deep  gorges  on  the 
streams  of  their  fatherland,  refusing  to  alienate 
their  affections ;  for  they  are  known  to  be  the  most 
irreconcilable  of  all  other  people  on  the  face  of 
the  globe,  in  becoming  dispossessed  of  their  ac 
customed  hunting  grounds. 

In  Leopold's  search  for  a  white  man  pioneer, 
he  fell  in  with  old  Oothlacoochy,  the  sworn  enemy 
of  the  white  man.  He  wanted  but  a  sufficient  force 
to  have  waged  an  eternal  exterminating  war  with 
the  whites!  but  his  philosophy  forced  him  into 


12  MAJSTOLIA;   OK, 

the  humiliating  conviction,  that  "  discretion  was 
the  better  part  of  valor,"  and  he  reluctantly  sub 
mitted  to  what  he  considered  a  humiliating  degra 
dation,  which  has  been  the  destiny  of  his,  as  well 
as  every  other  tribe  of  our  Indians.  The  whites 
had  already  so  destroyed  and  run  off  the  game 
with  their  hounds,  that  the  Indian,  after  his  mode 
of  still-hunting,  could  not  gain  his  subsistence, 
and  but  for  the  unknown  valley  of  Tallulah,  old 
Oothlacoochy  would  have,  long  ere  this,  followed 
his  tribe. 

He  had  so  long  a  time  traded  his  game,  and 
"varmant"*  skins,  as  he  called  them,  that  he  be 
came  familiar  with  the  English  language,  and 
learned  to  speak  it  very  intelligibly;  and  had 
acquired  some  knowledge  of  the  habits  of  the 
whites.  While  wandering  in  the  woods  in  search 
of  game,  with  old  "sugar-lip"  on  his  shoulder, 
(this  is  the  term  he  had  given  to  his  old  rifle,) 
he  perceived  a  venerable  white  man,  unlike  a  hun 
ter  of  the  mountains,  in  his  deportment  and  attire. 
The  opportunity,  he  thought,  was  a  favorable  one 
for  his  revenge,  which  he  had  long  nurtured 
against  the  whites ;  but  upon  a  closer  scrutiny, 
(for  he  was  a  very  Lavator,)  he  detected  something 

*  Varmant  is  used  as  it  was  by  Davy  Crockett  and  most  of 
the  pioneer  hunters ;  a  significant  term.  Vermin  applied  more 
generally  to  insects. 


THE   VALE   OF   TALLULAH.  13 

in  the  man  that  denoted  nobler  game  than  often 
crossed  his  path ;  for  in  the  day  of  which  we 
speak,  Georgians  were  not  all  fillibusters ;  some 
few  of  the  noble  works  of  God  were  to  be  found, 
and  the  scrutinizing  intelligence  of  the  savage 
mind,  in  this  instance,  was  as  quick  as  his  vision, 
which  is  so  proverbial. 

Neopold  sought  not  preferment,  nor  .was  he  the 
less  honorable  for  not  having  attained  it,  accord 
ing  to  its  acceptation.  The  world  had  it  not  in 
its  power  to  impose  an  office  that  would  have  been 
acceptable ;  and  there  were  none,  to  whom  it  was 
conceded,  who  occupied  a  place  between  himself 
and  his  God,  excepting  a  Washington,  and  he,  not 
because  of  the  honors  heaped  upon  him,  but  be 
cause  he  dignified  them  all,  and  aspired  to  none 
higher.  Eeader!  do  you  charge  such  a  spirit 
with  being  imbued  with  the  feeling  of  aristo 
cracy  ?  We  know  not  the  meaning  of  the  term, 
if  a  man's  own  dignity  and  elevation,  "  per  se," 
(and  at  the  same  time  conceding  to  every  other 
man  the  same  inherent  privileges,)  a  conscious 
ness  in  the  security  of  being  one  of  the  noblest 
works  of  God,  in  the  rectitude  of  integrity. 
Such  an  one  looks  upon  the  mere  claimant  of  po 
sition,  in  no  degree  exciting  ambition's  repose; 
though  an  emperor  wearing  a  third-handed  coat 
2 


14  MANOLIA;   OR, 

of  the  once  bumble  Corsican  Uncle.*  Wherever 
the  feeling  of  aristocracy  is  found,  a  supercilious 
ness  to  the  mere  mockery  of  greatness,  is  an  inevi 
table  concomitant.  The  sterling  American  would 
rather  do  honor  to  the  high-souled,  independent 
woodsman,  claiming  none  other  than  his  rifle  upon 
his  shoulder,  ever  ready  to  maintain  his  country's 
integrity,  than  those,  though  their  name  be  legion, 
ever  clamorous  for  office,  without  coming  up  to 
the  full  measurement  of  the  standard,  which  will 
ever  impart  a  dignity  to  the  position  they  seek  to 
fill. 

There  were  others  of  Leopold's  school  in 
Georgia,  but  of  not  sufficient  force  to  overcome 
the  predatory  tendency  of  the  masses.  Georgia 
can  still  boast  of  the  offspring  which  bears  the 
stamp  of  their  noble  conservative  ancestors,  as  we 
have  seen  reflected  in  Congress  from  the  seventh 
and  eighth  districts,  for  several  years  past,  the 
latter  now  removed  to  the  other  department  of 
legislation.  "We  use  the  term  conservative,  as 
approbatory,  knowing  full  well  that  it  is  a  term 
much  derided  by  disunionists  and  demagogues ; 
but  a  Christian,  law-abiding  patriot,  cannot  be 
otherwise  than  conservative.  We  do  not  write  to 

*  The  humble  condition  of  the  first  Napoleon  was  such, 
that  he  and  a  brother  were  constrained,  either  the  one  or  the 
other,  to  remain  at  home  for  the  want  of  two  coats. 


THE  VALE   OF  TALLULAH.  15 

administer  to  every  taste,  probably  adapted  to  no 
others  but  ourselves ;  we  therefore,  without  fear ; 
challenge  the  anathemas  of  the  "higher  law 
whigs,"  a  set  of  politicians  so  scrupulous  of 
honor,  that  they  have  taken  a  position  high 
above  constitutions  and  compacts,  looking  to  a 
higher  source  for  inspirations,  something  after 
the  manner  of  the  spiritual  rappers ;  or  the  de- 
magoguish  democrats,  so  scrupulous  of  the  ho 
nor  of  others,  that  they  would  hold  them  chained, 
hand  and  foot,  bound  over  to  "masterly  inac 
tion,"  for  fear  they  might  violate  their  pledged 
faith;  esteeming  others  as  being  too  scrupu 
lous  of  a  high  sense  of  honor,  to  act  at  all ; 
apprehending  they  might  make  shipwreck  of 
constitutions,  and  solemn  compacts!  and  that, 
therefore,  they,  themselves,  being  of  a  different 
school ;  perchance,  the  progressives — manifest  des 
tiny,  or  Young  America ;  among  whom,  the  mere 
mockery  of  subterfuges,  is  a  sufficient  justifica 
tion  of  their  own  movements.  As  to  the  lachry 
mal  sympathisers  of  "black  suffering  humanity," 
we  would  bear  a  little  longer  for,  if  insti 
gated  from  honest  intent.  So  soon  as  the  first 
paroxysm  of  their  grief  shall  have  passed  away, 
and  the  relief  of  tears  be  afforded,  we  may 
apprehend  a  general  loosening  of  their  purse- 
strings,  and  an  aid  and  comfort  of  more  "sol- 


1(5  MANOLIA;    OR, 

darity"  bo  afforded,  that  will  accomplish  some 
thing  towards  their  emancipation ;  thereby  make 
restitution  for  their  past  misdeeds,  in  having 
entailed  the  ignominious  black  servitude  upon 
the  south. 


THE   VALE   OF   TALLULAH.  17 


CHAPTER  III. 

THE  press  has  become  so  prolific,  and  books 
so  multiplied,  and  the  world  has  become  too  much 
of  the  progressive,  headlong,  hurry-bustle,  impa 
tient  tendency,  to  stop  long  enough  to  undertake 
the  reading  of  many  pages.  We  are,  as  our 
"liege  lord"  President  would  say,  "so  much  of  a 
nation  of  sovereigns,"  (every  man  entitled  to 
marry  into  a  royal  family,  I  suppose  he  means, 
and,  by-the-by,  some  of  us  can  boast  of  something 
even  better  than  that  in  the  way  of  wives,)  we 
have  become,  latterly,  the  very  "  peers  of  Presi 
dents  and  Secretries,"  and  the  presidency  of  the 
United  States  has  for  a  long  time  stood  "  without 
a  peer ;"  and  this  serves  for  my  illustration.  Each 
one  choosing  to  become  his  own  compositor — not 
even  going  so  far  as  the  proof  sheet.  But,  while 
hurrying  away  with  the  speed  of  the  wings  of  the 
lightning,  we  compose,  and  take  it  as  we  would 
"  a  hasty  plate  of  soup." 

But,  in  soberness,  to  please  the  public  taste, 

would  require  a  versatility  of  talent,  only  to  be 

found  in  a  condensation  of  all  the  "  scribendi  pro 

bono  publico."     Shakspeare,  with  his  muscular 

2* 


18  MANOLIA;   OK, 

originalities,  which  will  ever  stand  the  test  of  time, 
which  the  teachers  of  belles-lettres  have  fixed  as 
the  standard  of  taste !  the  civilization  of  Walter 
Scott !  the  spent  genius  of  Bulwer !  the  chaste 
pretties  of  James !  the  dashing  desperado  conclu 
sions  of  Eugene  Sue !  all,  with  Wirt's  beauties,  and 
"Wilton's  sublime  1  Campbell's  grandiloquent,  and 
many  others  sprinkled  in  for  seasoning ;  all  to  be 
thrown  into  the  crucible,  seven  times  over,  until 
the  conglomeration  is  thoroughly  refined,  concen 
trated,  and  purified  of  all  dross.  We  need  not 
expect  anything  very  short  of  such  a  work  to  at 
tract  a  general  reading,  and  escape  severe  criticism. 
Oar  likes  and  dislikes  are  strewed  so  indiscrimi 
nately,  and  in  so  unfinished,  unstudied  a  style, 
that  we  apprehend  no  quarters  will  be  shown  unto 
us ;  but  our  object  is  more  the  elevation  of  a  por 
tion  of  mankind,  than  the  pulling  down  or  de 
pression  of  any  one. 

We  said  the  old  chieftain  could  speak  intelli 
gibly,  and  that  is  about  what  is  commonly  done 
by  the  majority  of  us ;  for  the  orthography  and  the 
etymology  of  the  different  schools  of  rival  standing, 
are  so  variant,  that  our  language  is  sadly  in  want 
of  systematizing,  by  getting  up  an  annual  conven 
tion  of  teachers  from  every  section.  Our  pro 
nunciation  is  becoming  so  discordant,  that,  unless 
something  is  done,  the  day  is  not  far  distant 


THE   VALE   OF   TALLULAH.  19 

when  it  will  be  numbered  among  the  dead  lan 
guages  of  antiquity. 

The  progess  of  the  age  in  systematizing,  and 
"moving  according  to  Gunter,"  characterizes  every 
field,  excepting  that  of  language;  (and  politics,  I 
might  add ;)  ours  is  becoming  a  babel. 

The  old  Indian  was  toating  his  rifle  upon  his 
shoulder,  (not  carrying  on  a  horse,  as  is  sometimes 
done,)  he  had  no  horse,  for  he  was  too  poor ;  but 
thought  he  needed  one  to  carry  him  away  to  the 
west  to  join  his  tribe.  This  want  being  ascertained, 
proved  him  to  be  the  very  individual  the  searcher 
for  happiness  wanted  most  to  stumble  upon. 
"  Humph  1"  grunted  Oothlacoochy,  by  way  of  at 
tracting  Neopold,  who,  not  being  accustomed  to 
the  rude,  uncivilized  salutation,  jerked  up  a  sud 
den,  somewhat  confused,  halt ;  which  being  per 
ceived  by  the  savage,  who  mildly  spoke,  "  Wan 
derer,  lost,  I  suppose  ?"  "  Not  exactly ;  but  still  I 
know  not  whither  I  am  going,  unless  you  be  the 
individual  whom  I  am  in  search  of." 

"Eh!"  replied  the  Indian.  "I  took  you  for  a 
different  man,  than  one  of  your  pale-faced,  hungry 
devils,  ready  to  feed  away  every  Cherokee  to  your 
children,  rather  than  not  get  rid  of  them  at  all. 
If  I  had  at  first,  in  this  unfrequented  spot,  taken 
you  for  one  of  such,  you  probably  would  have 
been  worse  startled  than  you  were;  for  the  crack. 


20  MANOLIA;   OK, 

of  unerring  sugar-lip  would  have  been  my  first 
message." 

"Your  first  decision  was  the  most  correct. 
Now  come,  let  us  counsel  as  friends ;  if  you  are 
red  and  I  white,"  replied  Neopold. 

"  Well,  then,"  replied  Oothlacoochy,  "  if  you 
are  honest  in  being  the  fast  friend,  and  the  red 
man's  counsellor,  let  us  draw  off  to  yonder  massy 
rock,  which  juts  over  that  foaming  river,  and  we 
may  be  alike  amused  in  watching  the  whirls  of 
the  speckled  mountain  trout,  which  I  expect  you 
have  never  seen  in  your  marshy  lowlands ;  for  I 
take  you  to  be  from  that  country,  where  my 
father  told  me  at  noon  we  had  no  shadow." 

After  seating  themselves  upon  the  huntsman's 
ottoman,  Neopold  said :  "  Sir,  I  have  been  raised, 
as  you  seem  very  reasonably  to  suppose,  in  civili 
zation,  or,  in  the  midst  of  society ;  but  have  long 
since  envied  many  of  the  pleasures  that  are  inci 
dent  to  the  savage  life.  This  luxurious  feast 
which  I  now  behold  all  around  me,  and  overhead, 
so  canopied  over  with  the  tulip  tree,  spruce,  and 
others  of  equal  beauty,  indigenous  to  your  moun 
tains." 

Oothlacoochy  was  an  educated  man,  and  had 
been  a  constant  reader  of  the  Cherokee  Sentinel, 
a  paper  published  in  the  Cherokee  language, 
therefore,  he  was  not  incapable  of  appreciating 
sentiment,  but  Neopold  continued : 


THE   VALE   OF  TALLULAH.  21 

"  Notwithstanding  I  set  such  a  high  apprecia 
tion  upon  this  prodigality  of  nature's  luxuriance 
in  yonder  granite  pile ;  and  of  this  evening  twi 
light  which  reigns  underneath,  even  when  the  sun 
is  in  his  meridian  watches;  and  these  foaming 
torrents,  whitened  over  constantly  like  your  win 
ter  snow  drifts — with  such  scenes,  so  constantly 
presented,  you  huntsmen,  climbing  those  laborious 
steeps,  can  never  become  fatigued,  or  overheated." 

"Ah!"  replied  the -savage,  "you  must  get  your 
long  shooting-iron,  such  an  one  as  that  leaning 
on  the  rock  by  your  side,  and  try  it  with  us. 
Imagination,  it  is  true,  has  much  to  do  in  bring 
ing  home  to  us  comforts  and  repose ;  but,  sir,  let 
me  tell  you,  the  sight  and  reality  of  snow  cannot 
stop  the  oozing  of  sweat  from  a  man's  body,  if 
you  were  to  get  into  the  contest  I  did  once  ;  just 
up  on  that  bluff.  I  shot  a  large,  seven-snagged 
buck,  and  just  creased  him,  as  we  hunters  term  it 
— he  fell — I  walked  up,  (laying  aside  old  sugar- 
lip,)  and  with  my  knife  in  hand,  took  hold  of  his 
horns ;  he  immediately  sprang  up,  with  the 
strength  of  an  unhurt  deer,  and  then  commenced 
the  tug  of  war  for  about  a  half  hour.  Self-pre 
servation,  as  you  reading  men  have  it,  is  the  first 
law  of  nature ;  yet  you  deny  the  boon  to  us  poor 
men  of  nature,  and  we  can't  help  ourselves,  or  we 
would,  as  I  did  in  my  struggle  with  the  buck. 


22  MAKOLIA;    OR, 

If  had  given,  up  and  let  loose,  lie  would  have 
killed  me;  but  I  held  on,  and  worked  him.  along 
by  giving  way  in  the  direction  of  the  steep ;  and 
with  one  desperate  plunge,  carried  him,  and  I 
along  with  him,  over  the  precipice,  and  down  into 
that  boiling  chasm ;  and,  being  equal  to  a  beaver 
in  water,  almost  as  good  under  as  out,  I  soon  got 
the  advantage.  The  water,  certainly,  on  that  oc 
casion,  had  a  telling  effect  on  my  sinking  strength ; 
but  it  was  not  the  imagination  upon  seeing  the 
foaming  waters,  but  its  bracing,  cooling  effect  upon 
my  exhausted  muscles.  I  soon  succeeded  in  drown 
ing  him,  and  swam  to  yon  sand-beach  below.  But, 
sir,  I  interrupted  you,  excuse  me,  for  we  all  de 
light  to  dwell  upon  themes  befitting  our  taste." 

"  Well,  Oothlacoochy,  for  I  take  that  to  be  your 
name,  whom  I  have  heard  so  much  of." 
.  "You  have  not  mistaken  the  man,"  replied  the 
savage,  with  a  fiend-like  s^.owl ;  for  his  notoriety, 
alluded  to  by  JSTeopold,  brought  to  memory  the 
much  talk  among  the  whites,  of  deeds  of  darkness 
and  bloody  dramas,  that  ^rere  laid  at  his  door. 
Neopold  resumed : 

"I  am  in  search  of  a  mountain  home;  one  of 
the  greatest  seclusion  known  in  your  wilds." 

"  Well,  sir,  your  star  has  led  you  to  the  proper 
place ;  and  you  are  no  less  lucky  in  finding  your 
man,  if  I  can  make  it  serve  my  purposes. 


THE  VALE  OF  TALLULAH.  23 

There  lives  a  pale -face  dog  that  old  shoog*  has,  for 
a  long  time,  had  a  keen  appetite  for,  and  nothing 
but  his  blood  will  ever  satiate  our  thirst;  but 
the  terrible  hole  her  bullet  cuts  is  too  well  known 
to  be  mistaken,  or  some  of  these  mountains  would 
be  richer  than  you  see  'em." 

"Come,  come,"  said  Neopold,  "throw  aside 
such  inexorable  revenge,  if  they  are  inherent  in 
your  bosom,  and  let  us  become  associates." 

"  But  ah  1"  replied  the  savage,  "  let  this  deed  be 
done,  and  then  I  promise ;  sir,  understand  me,  for 
what  the  red  man  has  resolved  on,  and  pledged  to 
perform,  the  upheaving  of  these  mountains  can't 
shake  him  in ;  what  I  tell  you  to-day,  is  as  true 
as  yon  eagle,  soaring  over  the  water  on  the  look 
out  for  a  fish,  is  to  return  to  his  nest.  I  have  the 
most  charming  spot  of  earth,  the  Great  Spirit 
made  first  of  all,  when  his  hands  were  fresh,  and 
his  affections  strong  for  man,  whom  he  had  so  re 
cently  created,  and  this  spot  is  known  to  no  other 
living  man,  but  this  son  of  the  old  Oothlacoochy 
chief;  no  other  has  ever  made  foot-print  on  that 
sacred  soil.  "When  my  old  sire  first  carried  me 
along  with  him,  down  this  wild,  run-mad  stream, 
we  call  it  Terrora,  (the  terrible.)  When  I  first 
reached  this  beautiful  valley,  I  saw  the  old  bucks 

*  Meaning  his  rifle,  shoog  for  sugar. 


24  MANOLIA;    OE, 

with  tlieir  branching  horns,  reaching  up  their 
tall  heads  to  eat  the  fruit  that  there  grew,  such  as 
man  never  ate  out  of  that  valley,  without  starting 
at  our  approach ;  for  some  of  them  had  been  there 
for  years  without  ever  receiving  a  fright ;  for  the 
cliffs,  enclosing  this  valley,  were  too  steep  for  one 
of  them  ever  to  escape ;  and  the  only  way  by 
which  they  could  get  out,  was  to  take  the  foaming 
river,  which  they  were  deterred  from  doing,  hav 
ing  so  narrowly  escaped  from  getting  dashed  to 
pieces  as  they  passed  over  the  falls  above,  for  a 
mile  in  extent,  one  tumble  after  another.  This 
not  unfrequently  happened ;  for  in  all  countries  the 
deer  will  readily  take  the  water,  when  pursued  by 
dogs.  Along  this  chasm,  Tallulah,  for  a  mile  in 
extent,  the  steep  is  so  great,  that  they  can't  de 
scend  to  the  water,  but  must  pass  around  on  the 
one  side  or  the  other,  to  a  crossing-place  above 
the  falls;  and  when  the  stream  is  swollen,  they 
fail  reaching  the  opposite  bank,  until  washed 
within  the  chasm,  from  which  there  is  no  escape, 
excepting  to  be  drifted  along  the  whirling  rapids, 
pitching  over  a  -succession  of  cataracts  the  entire 
distance,  finding  no  resting-place  until  they  shall 
have  reached  the  beautiful  valley  described  at  the 
foot  of  the  succession  of  cataracts ;  here  the  banks 
are  low,  and  fortuitously  they  make  an  escape 
from  a  watery  grave.  Many,  I  have  been  told, 


THE  VALE  OF  TALLULAH.  25 

are  dashed  to  pieces,  and  their  carcasses  have  been 
found  away  below.  After  so  narrowly  making 
their  escape,  though  the  deer  commonly  regard 
the  rivers  so  little,  they  are  ever  averse  to  taking 
the  water  a  second  time  after  being  hurled  through 
the  rapids  once." 

Oothlacoochy  continued,  "  Sir,  I  was  but  a  boy 
when  the  old  chief  took  me  with  him  to  the 
greatest  perpendicular  summit  on  the  opposite 
side  of  the  river,  where  the  jump  is  said  to  be 
nine  hundred  feet  high.  About  one-third  of  the 
way  down,  there  is  a  small  platform,  perpendicu 
lar  above,  and  perpendicular  below,  down  to  the 
water ;  this  platform  of  rock  is  called  the  Eagle's 
Nest,  so  called  from  the  eagles  having  raised  their 
young,  for  time  immemorial,  in  a  cavity  contigu 
ous  to  the  platform.  For  the  sake  of  adventure, 
or  wishing  to  procure  the  eagles'  feathers,  for  he 
is  held  in  higher  veneration  than  any  other  bird 
by  the  red  man,  as  well  as  the  white  man."  (In 
America  he  is  everywhere  known  as  the  bird  of 
liberty!  the  banner  bird!  the  mountain  bird!  our 
nation's  bird  !  the  symbol  of  the  free ! — he  holds 
the  most  conspicuous  position  on  the  coat  of 
arms  of  our  republic.)  "  To  reach  this,  the  only 
resting-place  down  the  steep,  our  people  would  cut 
thongs  of  deer-skin,  of  sufficient  length  to  reach 
from  above  to  the  platform,  and  by  tying  one  end 
3 


26  MANOLIA;   OR, 

around  the  body,  and  putting  the  strap  once 
around  a  spruce  pine  near  the  summit,  with  ease 
one  could  be  let  down ;  which  point,  when  once 
gained,  and  strange  to  tell,  from  no  other  point, 
could  you  get  sight  of  this  obscured  little  valley. 
I  told  you  it  was  the  Great  Spirit's  first  work. 
Your  good  book,  which  you  call  God's  book,  I 
have  read,  and  it  was  in  that  book  I  found  out 
that  it  was  the  Great  Spirit's  first  work,  which  he 
called  paradise;  and  there,  first,  he  planted  his 
two  first  children,  whom  he  named  Adam  and 
Eve,  and  for  their  disobedience  in  eating  the  for 
bidden  fruit,  he  expelled  them  from  the  garden, 
ever  after  to  obtain  their  living  by  the  sweat  of 
their  brow.  Now,  why  I  know  this  vale,  to  which 
I  allude,  is  the  garden  of  which  we  read,  is,  because 
in  this  vale  a  matchless  fruit  is  produced ;  its  equal 
nowhere  else  is  found — and  I  have  not  been  con 
fined,  as  you  may  suppose,  to  these  uncultivated, 
rocky  cliffs — I  have  frequented  your  most  favored 
spots,  where  you  have  collected  the  fruits  of  the 
most  favored  countries  of  the  east  and  south." 

"  From  this  platform  of  which  I  speak,  the  only 
point  from  which  the  vale  could  be  seen,  three  of 
our  best  bloods  made  the  fearful  leap,  down  for 
hundreds  of  feet  into  the  abyss  of  boiling  water 
below,  one  of  the  principal  cataracts  pouring  con 
tinually  into  the  basin ;  the  velocity  with  which 


THE   VALE   OF   TALLULAH.  27 

they  were  carried,  hurled  them  with  such  force 
against  the  rocks  underneath,  that  they  were  never 
more  heard  from.  Their  memories  were  held  in 
sacred  veneration  by  our  people,  and  their  spirits 
were  supposed  to  have  been  the  tenants  of  this  val 
ley,  and  called  the  Indian's  Paradise.  And  to  gain 
this  favored  land,  my  old  father  persisted  in,  and 
in  the  same  manner  as  described,  he  let  me  down 
to  the  shelving  rock,  or  platform,  and  then  secur 
ing  the  strap  above,  he  let  himself  down  to  where 
I  stood.  He  then  said  unto  me,  'Now,  my  son, 
you  have  been  taught  never  to  listen  to  the  coun 
sels  of  fear,  and  if  thou  hast,  remember  them  not 
to-day,  for  thou  hast  to  go  with  thy  aged  father  to 
yonder  lovely  spot,  which  appeareth  so  plain  down 
this  stream,  and  which  thou  hast  never  before 
seen ;  thou  art  no  less  expert  in  swimming  than  I, 
for  thou  rememberest  oft  have  we  overtaken  the 
swimming  buck,  and  with  each  other's  assistance 
overcome  him  in  his  strugglings,  and  brought 
him  safe  to  shore.  Our  old  chief,  Conesanga,  was 
the  last  of  our  blood,  who  made  the  leap  which 
we  are  now  about  taking — and  I  was  an  eye-wit 
ness  to  where  he  struck  the  water ;  the  venerable 
old  worthy  was  never  more  heard  from.  We  must 
be  careful  to  strike  in  a  different  place ;  you  be 
careful  to  follow  me.  Immediately  under  the  fall 
of  water,  which  has  been  pouring  for  ages,  the 


28  MANOLIA;  OR, 

rock  must  be  worn  away  by  the  attrition  of  the 
constant  pouring  of  such  a  volume  of  water,  and 
the  tumbling  down  of  rocks  washed  from  above ; 
and  there,  too,  the  boiling  up  of  the  water  is  so 
strong,  that  our  fall  must  be,  to  a  considerable  ex 
tent,  overcome,  and  before  reaching  the  rocks  at 
the  bottom  we  can  safely  rise  to  the  surface ;  then 
our  safety  lies  in  not  being  drawn  back  under  the 
cataract,  for  if  we  are,  drown  we  must.  You  hold 
on,  until  you  fairly  see  me  in  yon  rapid  below  the 
pool.'  At  the  instant  he  concluded  his  instruc 
tions,  he  shouted,  '  Fare  thee  well,  my  son,  if  we 
fail,  we  hereafter  meet  in  the  spirit  land,  pre 
pared  by  the  Great  Spirit  for  his  devoted  peo 
ple,  a  country  forever  abounding  with  game.' 
Before  he  was  through  with  the  exclamation,  his 
bound  was  made,  and  he  half  way  to  the  water. 
For  a  few  moments  he  was  lost  to  my  sight  under 
neath  the  angry  billows,  but  quickly  I  saw  him 
rise,  and  with  his  stalwart  arms,  he  struggled, 
remaining  poised  against  the  counter  current 
which  drew  him  with  such  force  towards  the  catar 
act  ;  perceiving  the  much  dreaded  danger  which 
he  before  apprehended,  with  a  despairing  struggle 
he  lifted  himself  almost  out  of  water,  and  gained 
some  headway  down  stream;  in  an  instant  he 
reached  the  rapid  which  he  had  pointed  out  to 
me,  and  amidst  the  constant  thunderings  of  water- 


THE   VALE   OF   TALLULAH.  29 

falls,  I  faintly  heard,  'all's  well!'  and  with  an 
ejaculation  to  the  Great  Spirit,  to  take  me  in 
safety  along  with  my  venerable  chief,  whitherso 
ever  he  might  be  directed,  I  was  whirling  down 
the  dizzy  height  into  the  insatiable  gulf  below ;  I 
felt  as  if  I  had  nearly  lost  my  breath  before  reach 
ing  the  water ;  but  the  shock  I  received  from  the 
plunge  into  the  cold  water,  revived  me.  and  be 
ing  less  expert  in  lifting  myself  out  again,  after 
making  a  deep  plunge  under  water,  my  velocity 
carried  me  to  a  point  more  remote  from  the  fall, 
consequently,  I  found  less  difficulty  in  getting 
under  way  from  the  suck ;  but  a  few  efforts,  and 
I  gained  the  sluice  below,  and  before  I  felt  assur 
ances  of  safety,  the  old  man,  in  contending  against 
the  current  to  witness  my  fate,  exclaimed,  '  follow 
on,  my  boy,  all's  well  1  bright  visions  of  a  new 
born  existence  lie  in  wait  for  us ;  we  are  so  far 
triumphant;  but  still  many  dangers  yet  lie  in 
our  voyage.'  We  plied  our  sinews  most  lustily, 
and  in  a  short  time  our  goal  was  reached.  Both 
of  us,  nearly  overcome,  rolled  ourselves  from  the 
water's  edge,  upon  the  green  grass,  and  stretched 
our  weary  limbs  underneath  a  pavilion  of  vines, 
thickly  hanging  with  clusters  of  rich  purple.  '  And 
here  we  rest,'  ejaculated  the  old  chief;  and  we 
found  that  rest,  and  with  it  a  glorious  content 
ment. 

3* 


30  MANOLIA;   OK, 

"  This  pilgrimage  we  oftentimes  took  together 
before  he  died,  and  which  I  have  made  alone  too 
often  to  enumerate,  since  his  death.  And  but  for 
that  vale,  I  would  have  joined  my  tribe  long  ere 
this. 

"The  profusion  of  apples  and  deer,  I  have 
given  you  some  conceptions  of;  here  we  lingered 
for  days.  The  finest  founts  of  water  gushed  out 
of  the  mountains  which  encircled  the  valley. 
After  ascertaining  that  at  every  point  the  steep 
was  insurmountable,  we  had  but  one  outlet, 
which  we  deemed  practicable ;  that  was  to  swim 
down  the  river  to  a  point  below  the  chasm,  which 
terminated  on  either  side  in  precipitous  cliffs,  jut 
ting  up  to  the  water's  edge,  which  is  just  above 
its  junction  with  the  Chatooga. 

"  It  is  this  sequestered  spot,  incomparable  on 
earth,  to  which  I'll  pledge  myself  to  conduct 
you  in  safety,  if  you  will  aid  me  in  making 
my  escape,  after  my  deadly  hostility  is  ap 
peased." 

"Ah,  Oothlacoochy I"  replied  Neopold,  "thou 
hast  offered  a  temptation  far  exceeding  the  one 
you""described  as  having  been  first  cultivated  by 
the  hand  of  God,  which  proved  so  irresistible  to 
the  first  daughter  of  the  human  family ;  but  the 
exorbitance  of  your  demand  is  too  far  above  my 
reach ;  for  you  must  know  that  in  accordance 


THE  VALE  OF  TALLULAH.  31 

with  our  laws,  I  must  become  your  accessory,  and 
held  in  no  wise  less  guilty  than  yourself.  The 
prize  you  offer,  I  must  confess,  has  more  attrac 
tions  to  me  than  the  glitter  of  a  jewelled  diadem; 
but  the  blood  of  my  unfortunate  brother,  from 
whom  I  have  received  no  injury,  would  bring 
down  my  gray  hairs  with  sorrow  to  the  grave. 
The  curse  upon  Cain  would  be  my  doom  ;  excuse 
me  from  any  participation,  or  cognizance  of  the 
bloody  drama,  which  I  would  gladly  dissuade  you 
from ;  and  let  us  go  together  into  this  vale  of  so 
much  loveliness,  and  there  live  in  brotherly  affec 
tion  the  days  allotted  us  by  the  Great  Spirit.  But 
tell  me,  Indian,  hast  not  thou  found  any  other 
means  but  the  one  described,  by  which  we  can  get 
down  into  this  valley ;  how  am  I  to  take  along 
with  me  my  wife  and  little  daughter,  my  comforts 
of  living,  my  books,  and  apparatus  are  '  sine  qua 
nons'  to  my  existence,  in  the  rearing  up  of  my 
Manolia,  and  they  could  not  take  the  plunge  you 
have  described." 

"  Well,"  replied  Oothlacoochy,  "  I  think  a  plan 
suggests  itself,  by  which  means  all  your  desired 
objects  can  be  accomplished;  the  rapid  which 
leads  out  of  the  valley  is  very  great,  so  much  so, 
that  often  have  our  most  skillful  swimmers,  and 
paddlers  of  the  Indian  bark  canoe,  failed  in 
making  the  ascent ;  but  my  plan  is,  that  we  ex-. 


32  MANOLIA;   OK, 

cavate  from  one  of  those  large  tulip  trees,  such  as 
grow  in  the  valley,  a  large  canoe,  and  if  you  can 
procure  one  of  those  long  cable  ropes,  such  as  I 
have  seen  upon  your  town  river  banks,  I  can 
fasten  it  above  to  a  strong  tree  on  the  water's  edge, 
and  by  that  means,  I  think  you  and  I  can  pull  the 
boat  up  the  rapids." 

"  An  excellent  idea  I"  said  Neopold,  "  and  now, 
Oothlacoochy,  let  us  enter  into  the  solemn  com 
pact,  and  you  shall  be  rewarded  with  a  hundred 
fold  more  intrinsically,  than  the  price  you  have 
set.  I  will  go  to  work  and  procure  the  fixtures." 

"  Fail  not,"  said  the  Indian,  "  to  procure  all  the 
necessaries  the  world  affords  to  produce,  and  work 
out  the  comforts  you  wish  secured.  The  valley  is 
rich  in  fruits,  and  its  soil  productive,  from  which 
means  of  living  can  be  obtained  without  employ 
ing  the  one-half  of  my  time.  Pheasants,  &c., 
so  abound  that  a  supply  of  meat  will  always  be  at 
hand.  If  you  should  want  at  any  time  to  leave 
the  valley  to  procure  needful  articles  for  your 
family,  I  can  let  you  down  the  rapid  in  the  canoe, 
and  draw  it  back  until  the  time  appointed  for 
your  return." 

They  mutually  arose  to  make  preparation  for 
the  consummation  at  the  proposed  scheme.  Neo- 
pold  retraced  his  steps  to  the  lodgings,  where  he 
had  left  his  family ;  he  could  but  be  amazed  at 


THE   VALE  OF  TALLULAH.  33 

the  wonderful  degree  of  cultivation  the  old  Indian 
manifested,  infinitely  surpassing  the  acquirements 
of  many  of  our  white  citizens  who  claim  the 
right  of  suffrage ;  and  the  same  privilege  withheld 
from  the  more  enlightened  Indian.  Ye  aboli 
tionists  !  where  are  your  sympathies?  the  ebony  is 
your  idol.  This  led  to  the  following  reflections. 
Neopold  was  not  ignorant  of  the  history  of  the 
times,  in  fact  his  accomplishments  were  various  ; 
posted  up  in  politics,  and  possessed  of  a  fluency 
of  speech  that  would  have  shone  forth  pre-emi 
nently  in  the  halls  of  our  congress,  or  in  any 
other  deliberative  body  on  the  face  of  the  earth. 
Neopold  thus  soliloquised :  "Since  it  has  become  a 
conceded  point,  that  first  to  establish  a  pure, 
harmoniously- working  republican  form  of  govern 
ment,  and  then  to  maintain  it,  wisdom  and 
morality  are  essentially  necessary  to  be  inculcated 
among  its  citizens ;  if  so,  what  an  error  our  pro 
minent  men  are  committing  in  the  expending,  we 
know  not  how  much,  in  apeing  the  mockery  of 
Egyptian  antiquity.  How  mortifying  it  is,  that 
our  Washington  should  not  have  inspired  even 
demagogues  to  a  more  lofty  exhibition  of  vene 
ration. 

"The  conception  of  doing  such  a  patriot  honour, 
should  have  been  of  substantial  utility  ;  some 
thing  or  other,  which,  for  ages  to  come,  the  attri- 


34:  MANOLIA;  OK, 

tion  of  water,  the  crumbling  effects  of  the  winter's 
frost,  and  the  action  of  electricity,  all  combined, 
could  never  have  moulded  away;  and  how  is  it 
possible,  that  a  pile  of  rocks  can  contribute  in 
any  manner  to  enlarge  his  influence,  in  the  main 
tenance  of  our  institutions,  which  he  contributed 
in  so  eminent  a  degree  to  perfect,  and  manifested 
such  solicitude  to  have  perpetuated.  If  inscribing 
his  name  mountain  high,  for  thousands  of  feet 
above  the  level  of  the  ocean,  could  contribute  to 
the  perpetuation  of  his  influence  in  maintaining 
our  institutions,  then  let  it  be  inscribed  upon  the 
capstone,  (with  a  pen  of  steel)  of  our  rock  moun 
tain  of  Decalb.  I  venture  to  affirm,  that  the 
Washington  Monument  Committee  will  not,  in  a 
generation  to  come,  collect  funds  sufficient  to  rival 
its  magnificent  grandeur.  This  can  be  done  with 
out  cost ;  and  then  let  there  be  ingatherings  of 
gold  from  California  and  Australia ;  let  your  fund 
be  ever  so  great ;  and  establish  a  something  of  in 
trinsic  worth,  which  will  be  calculated  to  exalt  the 
patriot,  and  alike  perpetuate  our  glorious  repub 
lican  institutions,  by  disseminating  useful  and 
abiding  knowledge  and  morals  among  America's 
freemen.  Let  this  pyerian  fount  be  called  the 
Washington  Institute.  And  let  its  primary  object 
be  to  systematize  learning  in  our  schools,  by  edu 
cating  a  proportionate  number  from  each  state,  to 


THE  VALE   OF  TALLULAHU  35 

fulfill  the  place  of  teachers.  What  a  national 
glory  we  would  have  obtained ;  and  this  would  be 
Georgia's  bequest  to  Washington's  nation  of  sove 
reigns,  the  asylum  of  the  oppressed,  and  the  home 
of  the  brave,  "esto  perpetuae."  Great  God  of 
nations  send  down,  and  all  over  our'land,  the  moun 
tain  blast,  charged  with  the  intellectual,  sustain 
ing  influences,  that  our  capacity  may  be  enlarged 
to  meet  the  emergencies  that  are  spread  before  us ; 
that  the  exalted  destiny  as  portrayed  in  the  teach 
ings  and  eloquence  of  a  lamented  Daniel  Webster, 
may  be  yet  cherished  and  realized  by  the  republic ; 
let  the  triumphs  of  reason  and  soberness,  which 
ever  characterized  his  statesmanship,  forever  cul 
minate  in  the  ascendant. 

"Could  the  spirit  of  our  departed  hero  and 
patriot  be  invoked — his  noble  spirit,  that  disdained 
walking  upon  a  carpet,  which  was  spread  upon  the 
beach,  where  the  vessel  landed  him,  in  one  of  our 
seaports — he  would  in  like  manner  disdain  the 
unmeaning  mausoleum,  and  applaud  what  we  would 
have,  to  be,  our  Georgia  bequest." 

Neopold,  upon  reaching  the  lodging  of  his 
family,  found  that  they  had  become  very  uneasy 
at  his  long  absence.  After  relating,  what  his  wife 
termed  the  wild  abstractions  of  the  old  Indian 
chief,  persisting,  that  it  was  no  other  than  one  of 
the  old  Indian's  visions,  about  the  hunter's  paradise, 


36  MANOLIA;   OR, 

which  is  so  common  among  our  aborigenes,  in 
believing  the  Great  Spirit  has  prepared  to  receive 
the  faithful  after  death,  this  she  had  often  heard 
was  the  religion  of  the  Indians  everywhere ;  how 
ever,  Neopold  had  faith  in  the  truthfulness  of 
what  had  been  related  to  him  by  the  Indian ;  and 
with  whom  he  soon  again  met,  and  received  further 
assurances  that  it  was  not  a  thing  of  poetry. 


THE   VALE   OF  TALLULAH.  37 


CHAPTER  IY. 

WHEN  naught  is  heard  but  the  cataract's  con 
stant  roar;  and  oft  and  anon,  the  faintly-heard 
drumming  of  the  mountain  pheasant,*  more  de 
lightful  to  the  huntsman  than  the  Spanish  patriot's 
march  to  the  volunteer  corps ;  or,  the  plaintive,  far- 
distant  croakings  of  the  silvery  black  raven, 
whose  melodies  often  hurries  the  huntsman,  with 
his  quickly-sprung  rifle,  to  a  present,  in  anticipa 
tion  of  his  shaggy  Spanish  hounds  giving  tongue 
in  pursuit  of  a  deer.  These  melodious,  soul-in 
spiring  enchantments  of  the  mountains,  surpass 
all  the  pomp  and  circumstances  of  a  Napoleon's 
court ;  and  the  most  joyous  seasons  elicit  their 
enchantments,  and  alike  invite  forth  to  the  craggy 
cliffs  the  syballine  apparition,  which  has  been  so 
often  seen  by  visitors  in  their  excursions  among 
the  interminable  cataracts  and  craggy  heights,  for 
a  mile  in  extent,  which  characterize,  above  all 
others  of  nature's  grandeurs,  the  Tallulah  falls  of 
Georgia.  We  have  seen  the  much-talked  of  Nia 
gara,  and  other  falls  of  notoriety  on  our  Ameri 
can  continent ;  but  after  beholding  the  frightful, 

*  The  strange  apparition,  so  frequently  appearing  at  the  in 
stant  of  the  rapping  of  the  pheasant,  is  supposed  to  have  been 
the  origin  of  the  spiritual  rappers. 
4 


38  MANOLIA;   OR, 

and  terrific  sublimities,  the  variegated  and  pictur 
esque  grandeurs,  which  are  nowhere  blended  in 
so  eminent  a  degree,  as  we  see  here ;  the  involun 
tary  exclamation  is  uttered,  "is  this  the  much- 
talked  of  Niagara  1"  With  the  subjects  which  we 
have  presented  before  us,  we  but  lack  the  gifted 
pen  of  Mrs.  Ann  Stephens  to  bring  us  into  song. 

It  was  during  the  annual  recess  of  Franklin 
College,  intervening  between  the  final  examination 
in  June,  of  the  graduating  class,  to  the  first  Wed 
nesday  in  August,  the  commencement  day,  that 
the  seniors,  headed  by  their  beloved  Professor 
Waddel,  took  an  excursion  to  the  falls ;  and  all 
alike  were  transfixed  with  amazement  at  the  sight 
of  the  beautiful  belle  of  the  cliffs,  of  whom  neither 
the  guide,  nor  any  of  the  huntsmen  in  the  neigh 
boring  mountains  could  give  any  account,  though 
all  had  often  seen  the  peerless  beauty ;  and  of  a 
dozen  testimonies  which  we  consulted,  but  two 
had  ever  seen  her  otherwise  than  alone ;  these  two 
affirmed,  that  on  one  occasion,  they  saw  her  ac 
companied  by  a  venerable  old  man,  with  the 
mien  of  an  apostle  of  old ;  his  antiquated  appear 
ance  imparted  an  additional  sublimity  to  the  scene. 

These  pilgrims  from  college  first  saw  this  mys 
terious  apparition  from  the  elevated  flat  rock, 
on  the  south-west  cliffs,  called  the  Devil's  Pulpit, 
which  point  is  very  little  higher  up  the  stream 
than  what  was  formerly  called  the  Eagle's  Nest, 


THE   VALE   OP  TALLULAH.  39 

but  on  opposite  sides.  This  shelving  rock,  or 
platform  of  the  Eagle's  Nest,  in  modern  days,  has 
gone  by  the  appellation  of  the  "  Student's  Eos- 
trum,"  and  the  cave,  near  by,  in  which  the  eagles 
built  their  nests,  "  Vulcan's  Forge,"  so  called 
from  the  number  of  thunderbolts  which  has  been 
discharged  at  a  neighboring  mountain  below,  on 
the  south-west  side  of  the  river,  an  eminence  so 
dreaded  by  the  hunters  in  time  of  storm ;  for 
there  is  a  complete  devastation  of  the  larger  trees 
upon  its  summit,  and  called  Thunder  Mountain  by 
them. 

This  mysterious  object,  of  such  angelic  loveli 
ness,  called  the  Maid  of  the  Cliffs,  was,  when  first 
seen  by  young  Eossius,  standing  upon  the  Stu 
dent's  Eostrum;  he  was  instantly  overwhelmed 
with  admiration;  but  all  alike  seemed  to  be  para 
lyzed,  and  attempted  to  descend,  with  the  view  of 
crossing  over  to  where  the  object  stood,  which 
they  were  not  aware  was  a  thing  of  impossibility 
at  that  point;  but  they  soon  lost  sight  of  the 
mountain  nymph,  as  some  of  them  called  her. 

After  the  party  had  run  out  their  time  in  fer- 
retting  out  all  of  the  secret  cavities,  and  viewing 
all  of  the  grandeurs  which  nature  had  been  so 
prodigal  in  piling  around  this  hallowed  spot,  the 
professor  announced  that  the  time  had  arrived  for 
leaving.  Says  a  student,  whose  name  was  Vance, 
"  Our  valedictorian  is  '  non  est  inventus.' " 


40  MANOLIA;   OK, 

"  What !  Eossius  not  yet  come  ?  we  can't  wait 
any  longer;  he  will  follow  on  after  us.  Who  last 
saw  him?"  inquired  the  professor. 

"  I,"  replied  Julius.  "About  an  hour  since,  after 
hurrying  all  the  morning  up  the  river,  pressing 
me  to  go  on  with  him  against  my  remonstrances ; 
finally,  at  the  head  of  the  chasm  I  stopped  and 
told  him,  that  we  would  be  waited  for,  that  twelve 
o'clock  was  the  hour  our  pater  conscrepti  had 
fixed  upon  for  our  homeward  march,  and  now, 
the  morning  has  left  us  nothing, — 'vacfe,  vadeT 
cried  I,  at  the  top  of  my  voice,  running  back, 
with  hurried  steps;  'if  thou  wilt  persist,  thou 
sleepest  out  to-night  with  old  bruin  for  thy  chum 
instead  of  Julius.  I  do  believe  that  white  eagle, 
which  thou  mistook  for  a  very  Desdomona,  hath 
turned  thy  brain,  Rossius.' 

"  He  replied,  '  Come,  come,  chum,  go  with  me 
yet  farther — '  Satius  est  petere  fontes,  quam  sec- 
tari  rivulos.' 

"  So  saying,  he  suited  his  actions  to  his  quota 
tion,  hurrying  with  headlong  steps  up  stream,  and 
I  down,  retracing  my  footsteps." 

After  this  account  given  of  Rossius  by  his 
chum,  Julius,  the  venerable  professor  meditated 
seriously,  for  a  moment,  in  a  state  of  suspense ; 
for  Rossius  was  a  favorite  with  the  professor  of 
languages; — after  a  pause,  the  old  man  drew 
himself  up,  exclaiming,  " '  Quamdiu  Catalina,  abu- 


THE   VALE  OF  TALLULAH.  41 

tere,  nostra  patientia.'  Julius,  thou  art  not  more 
sad,  in  leaving  behind  your  chum,  than  I  am ; 
but  we  have  come  on  a  soldier's  march,  and  we 
must  maintain  the  reputation  which  gives  him 
character  and  efficiency ;  a  strict  adherence  to  dis 
cipline,  and  orders  previously  issued.  Napoleon 
never  would  have  taken  Moscow,  if  the  glaciers 
of  the  Alps  had  proven  an  impediment ;  if  re 
monstrances  and  difficulties  had  been  heeded 
by  a  Columbus,  the  American  continent  would,  in 
all  probability,  never  have  been  discovered." 

With  great  impatience  at  the  hesitancy  of  the 
professor,  Bender  exclaimed  aloud,  "  Quern  Deus 
vult  pedere,  prius  dementat." 

To  which  Julius,  with  much  emphasis,  retorted 
in  defence  of  Eossius,  "  There  are  those  who  can 
see  the  faults  of  others,  but  who  cannot  discern 
their  own." 

"Julius  Caesar!  do  you  mean  that  for  me?"  said 
Eender. 

"  Qui  capit  ille  facit,"  replied  Julius. 

"  Come,  come,  young  gentlemen,  I  fear  this  dis 
cussion  is  becoming  too  personal,"  continued  the 
old  professor.  "  I  know  not  what  may  become  of 
Rossius,  but  I  must  confess,  Render's  quotation 
sounds  like  a  presentiment,  and  I  confess  it  weighs 
heavily  on  my  mind ;  but,  Julius,  to  arrest  discon 
tent  in  our  ranks,  let  us  be  off  on  our  march." 
4* 


42  MANOLIA     OK, 


CHAPTER  V. 

Rossius's  feelings  were  too  deeply  enlisted  in 
behalf  of  the  object  of  his  solicitations  to  have, 
for  once,  meditated  upon  "what  might  probably  be 
the  remarks  made,  at  his  expense. 

When  he  finally  became  wearied,  and  nearly 
exhausted,  he  approached  a  sound  he  heard  a  little 
above  him,  at  the  water's  edge;  it  proved  that 
which  he  needed  most,  the  pouring  of  a  small 
mountain  torrent  over  a  precipice-rock  into  the 
river.  u  Ah !  thou  ever  living  fount,  I  was  as  un 
conscious  of  how  much  I  stood  in  need  of  thee, 
as  thou  wert  thyself  1"  He  drinks,  and  bathes  his 
wrist  and  temples.  "  Thou  art  as  cold,  and  far  bet 
ter,  than  ice  water,  which  we  transport  at  so 
much  cost — how  gladly  would  I  live  in  thy 
midst."  He  seated  himself  on  a  mossy  settee,  on 
the  margin  of  the  river.  The  cold  water,  and  the 
fanning  current  of  air,  which  the  little  cascade  ex 
cited,  soon  cooled  his  fevered  brain,  and  he  was 
restored  to  consciousness. 

Rossius  continued,  "Ah!  alas!  poorRossius!  I 
feel  myself  to  be  like  a  lost  mariner,  tossed  upon 
the  troublous  billows,  without  chart  or  compass, 
and  no  cynosure  by  which  to  be  guided.  The  am 
bition  which  served  to  stay  me  up,  and  hurry  me 


THE  VALE  OF  TALLULAH.  43 

on  through  the  first  heat  of  life ;  achieving  my 
purposes,  in  my  collegiate  aspirations,  is  lost  in 
satiety,  and  I  am  here  alone  in  solitude,  with 
none  other  to  stimulate  than  what  they  tell  me  is 
a  phantom — a  thing  like  an  ignis  fatuis." 

He  jumps  up — "  I'll  back  again  to  the  Devil's 
Pulpit,  and  there  I  will  spend  the  night."  It  was 
dark  before  he  reached  the  spot,  and  with  diffi 
culty  he  found  his  way  down  to  the  cave,  far  be 
low,  deep  down  the  black  cavern,  known  as 
Bruin's  Saloon.  Here  he  determined  to  spend  the 
night,  if  old  bruin's  hospitality  did  not  forbid ; 
but  he,  too,  with  the  Indians,  had  been  compelled 
to  seek  a  more  genial  home ;  for  the  fillibusters 
extended  to  neither  any  quarters. 

Rossius,  throughout  the  night,  scarcely  slept ; 
but  built  high  gorgeous  air-castles ;  not  such  as 
he  was  wont  in  college  to  build,  of  climbing  to  the 
uppermost  round  of  fame's  ladder — his  aspirations 
were  now  swallowed  up  in  the  glorious  reflections 
of  the  union  of  two  confiding  hearts — his  studious 
habits,  and  ambitious  spirit,  had  never  allowed 
him  the  moments  to  spare  in  the  too  frequent  in 
dulgence  of  students,  in  visiting  the  girls,  and  this 
accounts  for  one  of  his  susceptibilities ;  never  be 
fore  having  felt  the  pangs  of  distraction,  which  an 
aching  heart  engenders  in  a  high-strung,  sensitive 
youth,  who,  too,  has  been  so  perfect  a  stranger  to 
its  vibrations,  as  Rossius  had  been. 


44  MAKOLIA;   OB, 


CHAPTER  VI. 

AT  last,  after  the  irksome  -watches  of  the  night, 
the  morning  came — Rossius  was  on  the  "  qui  vive," 
at  its  first  dawning — time  dragged  slowly,  he  re 
marked — 

"  I  have  often  heard,  that  one's  existence  was 
prolonged  by  a  removal  to  the  mountains,  and 
this  accounts  for  it — in  truth,  a  day  and  night  is 
to  me  as  a  week." 

About  ten  o'clock  the  pheasant's  mournful 
drumming  was  faintly  heard,  amidst  the  thunder- 
ings  of  the  cataract's  roar.  "Ah!"  said  he, 
"  wouldst  thou,  mountain  bird,  prove  to  be  one  of 
the  spiritual  rappers,  possessing  the  magic  power 
of  which  we  do  hear  so  much."  Instantly,  the  ap 
parition  made  her  appearance,  as  white  as  the 
foaming  billows,  the  roar  of  which,  from  an  in 
creased  whirl  of  the  wind  in  the  chasm,  which  had 
just  sprang  up,  perfected  the  delusion  of  there 
being  a  concord  of  sweet  sounds,  with  the  ca 
dences  of  a  band  of  serenaders,  in  honor  of  our 
brilliant  guest,  perched  high  upon  the  opposite 
cliff,  whose  melodious  voice  accorded  so  harmo 
niously  with  the  enchantment  of  surrounding  na 
ture. 

"Ah!    blessed    beauty,"    exclaimed    Rossius, 


THE  VALE  OF  TALLULAH.  45 

"thou  art  no  eagle  bird,  but  one  of  more  bril 
liance  than  the  bird  of  paradise !  How  I  wish  I 
could  transform  myself  into  what  Julius  called 
thee,  that  I  might  fly  across  this  yawning  chasm, 
and  perch  at  thy  feet.  Oh !  thou  most  hallowed 
object !  thou  remindest  me  of  Dido  of  old,  who, 
with  a  willow  in  her  hand,  on  the  lone  sea  banks, 
waved  her  love  to  return  again  to  Carthage.  O  ! 
were  I  thy  Cressid. 

"  Loved  one !  canst  thou  hear  amidst  this  artil 
lery  ?  if  thou  couldst,  I  would  say  to  thee  a  word 
of  soft  delight." 

"  Speaketh  noble  youth ;  for  I  know  not  else 
what  to  call  thee,"  said  the  Maid  of  the  Cliffs. 

To  which  Eossius  replied :  "  My  bright  star  of 
life  and  hope !  I  saw  thee — and  this  makes  but 
twice,  which  reveals  to  me  the  truth,  that  thou 
art  else  than  that  they  told  me.  Some  called 
thee  a  morning  vapor,  occasioned  by  the  whirl  of 
atmosphere,  amidst  these  tumble  of  waters,  pro 
ducing  such  clouds  of  spray,  and  the  sun's  rays 
not  reaching  them,  until  he  had  rose  high  above 
mountain,  almost  having  acquired  his  meridian 
strength,  the  sudden  heat  and  strong  reflection  of 
light,  occasioned  this  singular  phenomena  of  white 
gauzy  form.  This  was  the  philosophiecal  expla 
nation  of  my  revered  professor.  Probably  I  should 
have  been  persuaded,  by  his  theory,  to  have  left 
with  the  class  •  but  he  had  so  strongly  implanted 


46  MANOLIA;   OK, 

in  our  bosoms  by  his  lectures  before  the  class, 
that  the  lipse  dixits  of  none,  however  reputable, 
should  be  permitted  to  convict  us,  however  plaus 
ible  in  theory,  until  after  demonstration,  with 
practical  results.' 

"  Come,  my  angel  star,  tell  me  what  shall  I  call 
thee?  but  if  thou  permittest,  I  would  call  thee  no 
other  than  my  own !  Tell  me  whence  from,  and 
how  can  I  approach  thee  ?" 

To  which  Eossius  received  in  reply : 
"  In  that  shining  vale,  which  I  do  now  behold 
from  this  cliff,  varied  over  with  every  enchant 
ment  of  loveliness,  my  fond  parents  do  dwell ;  and 
I,  their  only  offspring;  they  call  me  Manolia. 
This  vale,  of  which  I  do  speak,  lies  not  far  above, 
where  the  mountains  have  wedded  this,  my  own 
beautiful  Tallulah,  to  another  of  her  like,  but  not 
half  so  fair,*  and  there  too, 

'  Tallulah's  offspring  you  may  see, 
Yet  not  so  fair,  by  half,  as  she — 
That,  my  father,  from  the  north-east; 
This,  my  mother,  where  we  now  rest, 
The  other,  Manolia,  by  them  ever  blest, 
By  no  other  ever  have  been  caressed.'  " 

"Manolia!"  ejaculated  Eossius,   "Ye  gods!  it 

*  The  reference  here  is  to  the  junction  of  the  Tallulah  and 
Chatooga  rivers,  and  by  their  junction  another  is  formed,  the 
Tugalo.  The  first  she  compares  to  her  mother,  the  second  to 
her  father,  a  more  turbid  stream;  their  issue  the  Tugalo,  which 
she  compares  to  herself. 


THE  VALE  OF  TALLULAH.  47 

doth  fill  the  air  with  enchantment,  and  appeareth 
to  me  unrivalled,  excepting  in  thy  own  matchless 
person. 

"  When,  Manolia,  were  these  two  rivers  of  which 
thou  speakest,  wedded,  and  by  whom?"  said  Eos- 
sius. 

"  I  suppose,"  replied  Manolia,  "  when  they  first 
began  to  flow ;  and  by  the  mountains,  I  suppose, 
as  they  alone  can  prevent  their  ever  being  di 
vorced." 

"  I  would  gladly  approach  thee,"  said  Eossius, 
"and  prevail  on  her  so  happily  blest  with  the 
fondest  of  parents,  that  another  liveth,  whose  ca 
resses,  if  once  thou  wert  made  to  appreciate,  would 
bear  a  comparison  with  all  that  thou  knowest  of, 
or  have  ever  felt !  as  thou  sayest  Tallulah  does,  in 
comparison  with  Tallulah's  spouse." 

"  I  fear,"  replied  Manolia,  "  this  argument  run 
neth  not  to  my  advantage,  for  thou,  Eossius,  doth 
paraphrase  my  every  saying  to  thine  own  account ; 
and  as  to  what  thou  wouldst  gladly  know,  I  can 
scarcely  venture ;  for  my  father  has  often  told  me, 
that  the  spot  upon  which  I  stand,  is  the  '  ultima 
thule,'  and  bids  me  stay  no  time  for  fear  of  giddi 
ness  and  fatigue,  and  tells  me,  too,  when  the  sun 
gets  on  high,  he  will  mar  the  tint,  which  the  dews 
of  the  vale  of  flowers,  so  perfumed  with  sweets, 
which  have  been  exhaled  the  night  previous,  have 
imparted  to  my  cheeks;  but,  Eossius,  if  thou  in- 


48  MAXOLIA;    OTi, 

clinest  to  cross  over — before  thou  set  out,  take  an 
object,  just  overhead;  where  I  now  stand  a  moun 
tain  laurel  hangs,  now  in  bloom,  take  it  for  your 
cynosure,  and  to-morrow,  at  the  sound  of  the  re 
veille  of  the  mountain  drummers,  you  will  find 
the  object  you.  will  be  in  search  of,  where  I  now 
stand,  if  all  goes  well.  I  bid  thee  speed  in  time, 
for  thou  mayest  encounter  difficulties." 

This  seeming  solicitude,  on  the  part  of  Manolia, 
had  instant  effect  on  Eossius ;  he  had  not  ascended 
the  steep  far,  before  he  halted  to  take  a  farewell 
greeting,  and  Manolia  was  gone. 


THE   VALE   OF   TALLULAH.  49 


CHAPTER  VII. 

IT  was  at  no  other  season,  that  the  point,  occu 
pied  by  Manolia  at  the  time  she  held  the  foregoing 
conversation  with  Eossius,  could  be  approached 
from  the  valley  below.  This  time  of  the  year, 
the  last  of  July,  or  the  first  of  August,  is  known 
as  the  dry  season  of  this  country,  and  the  Tallu- 
lah,  as  well  as  all  other  streams,  becomes  exceed 
ingly  low;  and  also,  it  is  the  season  of  the  phea 
sants'  tattoo.  When  the  river  was  at  this  low 
stage,  old  Oothlacoochy,  (the  Indian  chief,  of 
whom  we  have  made  mention,  who  had  ever  lived 
with  the  Neopold  family  in  the  valley,  and  loved 
Manolia  as  his  own  child,)  could  take  the  canoe 
across  the  river,  and  then  up  to  the  principal 
cataract,  immediately  below  the  high  perpendi 
cular,  from  whence  Oothlacoochy  and  his  old 
father  made  the  fearful  leap  to  gain  the  valley. 
At  this  point  he  secured  the  canoe,  and  by  his 
assistance,  (the  outer  edge  of  the  rock,  over  which 
the  water  tumbled,  being  exposed,)  Manolia  was 
enabled  to  gain  the  steep,  and  then,  between  the 
cliff  and  the  water's  edge,  the  tract  was  sufficient 
to  pass  along  up. 

This   little  colony   had    now    resided    in   their 


50  MANOLIA;   OR, 

secluded  world  about  thirteen  years,  making  Ma- 
nolia  about  sixteen  at  the  time  of  our  story.  After 
having  been  thoroughly  educated  by  her  accom 
plished  parents,  and  acquired  a  taste  for  reading, 
she  got  hold  of  some  romance  in  her  father's  ex 
tended  library,  the  reading  of  which,  at  times 
excited  a  feeling  of  melancholy,  which  inclined 
her  to  wander  among  the  picturesque ;  and  hearing 
the  old  Indian  relate  his  adventure  over  the  preci 
pice,  and  down  the  falls,  she  never  rested  until  she 
prevailed  on  her  father  to  let  the  Indian  conduct 
her  to  the  fearful  spot ;  and  after  gaining  her 
point,  the  ascent  to  the  jumping- off  platform  must 
be  scaled,  and  her  daily  entreaties  to  the  old 
Indian  became  irresistible;  and  his  strong  in 
clination  to  afford  the  little  idol  of  his  heart 
every  gratification,  led  him  to  commence  devising 
ways  and  means  to  accomplish  her  object;  he  pro 
posed  to  do  it  if  her  father  would  procure  rope 
sufficient  to  make  a  ladder,  and  get  a  strong  bolt 
of  iron,  and  steel  chisels  sufficient  to  bore  a  hole 
into  the  rock  by  the  platform,  so  as  to  drive  the 
bolt  into ;  to  this,  the  rope  ladder  could  be  sus 
pended. 

"  How  will  you  get  up  to  make  this  fixture  ?" 
replied  Manolia. 

"  I  will  go  down  the  river  with  the  fixtures,  cross 
over  and  go  up  to  the  cliff,  and  get  down  upon  it, 
as  I  did  at  first,  work  out  the  hole  in  the  rock, 


THE   VALE   OF  TALLULAH.  51 

suspend  the  ladder,  and  descend  upon  it,  to  prove 
to  you  its  strength.  The  only  difficulty  is  in  as 
certaining  the  quantity  of  rope,  and  how  long  to 
make  the  ladder." 

"  If  I  mistake  not,"  replied  Manolia,  "  the  tract 
below  on  the  water's  edge  is  perfectly  straight  for 
a  short  distance ;  if  so,  my  father  can  in  a  few 
moments,  with  his  quadrant,  give  you  its  ele 
vation." 

Neopold  had  all  the  shining  attributes  of  a 
finished  gentleman  and  scholar ;  highly  gifted  in 
every  essential  ingredient  necessary  to  have 
ranked  him  foremost  in  any  of  the  learned  pro 
fessions  he  might  have  made  choice  of.  And  his 
wife  also,  was  in  no  wise  inferior  to  her  husband, 
under  whose  tuition,  their  lovely  daughter  lacked 
in  no  particular  the  advantages  of  a  seminary ; 
in  fact  her  tuition  was  more  strictly  attended  to 
and  stimulated,  her  mental  developments  more 
effectually  cared  for,  than  if  she  had  been  sent  to 
school. 

Upon  Manolia's  return  home,  after  her  day's 
entertainment  with  Eossius,  she  felt  an  unusual 
degree  of  excitement,  and  her  stay  had  been  ob 
served  by  her  parents  as  well  as  old  Oothlacoochy, 
(who  had  spent  his  time  among  the  rocks  a  fishing, 
in  wait  for  Manolia's  return  to  the  canoe,  which 
he  was  wont  to  do  when  she  took  this  trip).  The 
old  Indian  was  interrogated  by  the  parents,  which 


52  MANOLIA;   OB, 

increased  his  suspicions ;  and  when  on  the  follow 
ing  morning,  Manolia,  with  an  unusual  degree  of 
caution,  took  him  one  side  to  communicate  her 
wishes  to  ascend  the  river  again,  a  thing  she  had 
never  done  before  on  three  consecutive  days ;  how 
ever,  he  gave  a  ready  assent  to  her  proposition 
with  the  curiosity  of  an  Indian,  determining  to 
act  the  part  of  a  spy,  which  is  perfectly  in  charac 
ter  with  the  Indian ;  their  hunting,  their  warfare, 
their  every  undertaking,  is  carried  on  under  this 
ambush  scheming ;  so,  as  a  matter  of  course,  the 
undertaking  was  not  at  all  repulsive  to  his  sense 
of  honor.  So  he  proceeded  on  the  excursion, 
with  a  gaiety  not  expected,  by  telling  the  girl  that 
it  suited  him  very  well,  as  he  did  not  meet  with 
his  usual  good  luck  in  fishing  on  the  day  previous. 
They  accordingly  journeyed  up  the  river  to  the 
fall,  below  which  he  usually  fished ;  assisted  Ma 
nolia  up  the  acclivity ;  and  commenced  the  work 
of  adjusting  his  fishing  tackle  as  usual,  so  as  to 
excite  no  suspicion  on  the  part  of  Manolia ;  but 
so  soon  as  the  maid  had  turned  the  first  angle  of 
the  precipice  bluff  alongside  the  water's  edge,  he 
followed  on  in  pursuit ;  she  in  no  wise  suspecting 
him.  When  he  reached  the  next  turn,  he  could 
with  ease  screen  himself  from  view,  and  by  look 
ing  around  the  point  see  distinctly  the  platform, 
up  to  which  his  ladder  led.  She  was  ascending, 
and  had  nearly  reached  the  point ;  and  immedi- 


THE   VALE   OF  TALLULAH.  53 

ately  above,  he  discovered  a  man  reclining  upon 
the  rock  over  Manolia's  head,  with  his  head,  breast, 
and  shoulders  exposed  to  full  view. 

As  Manolia  stepped  from  the  rope  ladder,  and 
planted  her  feet  firmly  upon  the  giddy  height, 
Rossius  addressed  her,  not  venturing  to  speak 
before,  for  he  trembled  at  the  hazardous  adventure 
she  was  making. 

"  So,  my  fair  Manolia,  thou  wast  not  unmindful 
of  thy  promise,  and  I  flatter  myself  that  our  yes 
terday's  confab  was  of  mutual  interest.  I  have 
reached  this  spot  but  fifteen  minutes  since,  and  to 
give  you  some  evidence  of  my  anxiety,  I  have 
travelled  by  day  and  night  to  head  this  maddened 
stream,  which  I  nearly  did,  before  I  could  cross, 
and  by  the  time  I  reached  this  spot,  though  ex 
cessively  fatigued,  my  anxiety  in  a  few  moments 
was  such,  that  I  sprang  up  and  with  hurried  steps 
went  some  distance  below  in  search  of  a  cliff  and 
laurel,  that  more  resembled  the  one  you  cited  me 
to  yesterday.  Manolia,  from  the  first  time  I  fixed 
my  eyes  upon  you  from  yonder  pulpit,  as  they  do 
call  it,  thy  influences  were  such,  as  -I  never  before 
felt ;  and  these  disturbed  emotions  at  my  heart, 
became  manifest  to  all  of  my  companions,  whom 
you  saw.  They  all  remonstrated  at  my  excessive 
romance,  as, they  termed  it,  and  reiterated  the 
huntsmen's  legend,  that  thou  wast  this,  that,  and 


54:  MAXOLIA;   OK, 

the  other,  and  no  inimitable  beauty  of  flesh  and 
blood ;  they  taunted  me  by  calling  thee  an  eagle 
bird ;  a  cloud-like  zephyr,  filled  with  light,  the 
spirit  of  some  departed  love-stricken  girl,  hover 
ing  around  those  yawning  gulphs  in  search  of 
some  lost  lover.  Philosophical  explanation  of  thy 
appearance  was  given — plausible  enough  in  theory 
— they  with  one  voice  protested  against  my  cre 
dulity,  that  it  would  prove  the  rock  upon  which 
I  would  split.  But  now  this  meeting  will  more 
than  repay  me  for  all  of  the  jeers  and  jibes,  which 
I  received  at  their  hands.  My  fair  Manolia,  I 
know  not  how  to  love  else  than  thee;  these 
heights  and  depths,  and  lasting  rocks,  are  but  fit 
emblems  by  which  to  measure  the  extent  aad 
durability  of  my  attachment.  I  have  to  some 
extent  practiced  composition  and  elocution ;  but 
upon  this  theme  of  love,  I  confess  I  am  a  novice, 
yet  I  know  full  well,  that  I  love  thee,  whate'er 
thou  art,  and  would  gladly  win  thy  favor." 

To  which  Manolia  replied. 

"Thy  youth  and  modesty  doth  discredit  thy 
own  ingenuity,  for  thou  speakest  of  matters,  of 
which  I  am  none  else  than  what  thou  representest 
thyself  to  be,  and  in  comparison  thou  appearest 
an  adept ;  if  the  subject  of  which  thou  speakest, 
means  nothing  else  than  to  sanction  the  edification 
thy  conversation  doth  continually  impart,  then 
what  thou  desirest  has  already  been  sanctioned  by 


THE   VALE   OF   TALLULA.H.  55. 

this  meeting  ;  having  read  much,  but  seen  nothing 
of  the  world  in  which  you  live,  I  must  confess  I 
have  some  curiosity  to  associate  to  some  extent 
with  others  than  my  parents  and  old  Oothlacoo- 
chy ;  yet  I  love  them  dearly,  and  could  not  live 
without  them ;  in  fact,  my  parents  and  I  are  as 
one,  as  inseparable  as  the  waters  of  the  three 
rivers  T  made  mention  of  to  you  yesterday." 

"Manolia,"  replied  Kossius,  "thou  appearest  to 
comprehend  me  but  darkly  ;  my  ambition  is,  that 
we  should  become  harmonized  as  the  waters  of  the 
two  first  named  rivers,  and  flow  on  as  they  do,  in 
harmonious  unison,  as  undisturbed  as  their  placid 
waves,  on  to  the  ocean  of  eternity ;  to  love  and 
experience  all  the  identity,  which  you  and  your 
fond  parents  doth  entertain ;  then,  my  happiness 
would  be  complete,  and  yours/I  trust,  well  secured, 
for  thy  experience  must  have  taught  you  that  life 
is  held  by  a  slender  tenure,  even  by  the  young ; 
and  the  aged  know  not  at  what  hour  they  may 
be  summoned ;  and  believe  me,  my  attachment  for 
you  is  such,  that  I  would  gladly  excite  in  your 
bosom  no  other  than  the  most  cherished  hopes. 
But,  my  dearest  Manolia,  what  is  inevitable,  our 
philosophy  teaches  us  to  look  well  to,  and  it  is 
meet  and  proper  to  take  '  time  by  the  forelock,' 
as  is  said,  and  make  provisions  for  coming  destiny. 
Your  parents,  whom  you  love  so  dearly,  and  they 
who  are  so  mindful  of  your  happiness,  cannot 


56  MANOLIA;   OR, 

remain  with  you  always,  and  for  the  love  I  have 
for  you,  I  offer  you  myself  as  their  substitute; 
thy  interest,  I  assure  you,  will  only  be  doubly 
secured,  and  for  the  time  being,  I  pledge  you  will 
suffer  no  detriment ;  thy  love  will  ever  be  cher 
ished,  thy  happiness  fostered,  and  while  thy  parents 
are  spared  unto  you,  thy  love  for  them  be  in  no 
wise  diminished ;  in  me,  they  will  find  an  addi 
tional  solace,  and  will  ever  be  found  ready  to 
unite  with  you  in  administering  to  their  wants ; 
the  amount  of  their  happiness  and  comforts  will 
be  multiplied,  as  well  as  your  own ;  we  will  travel 
together  wherever  our  inclination  may  lead  us,  in 
search  of  pleasure,  and  return  to  your  parents  and 
quiet  home  with  renewed  affections  and  fresh 
resources.  Say,  Manolia!  wilt  thou  consent  to 
become  mine?" 

"Ah!  Eossius,"  said  Manolia,  "'I  think  the 
matter  of  which  thou  treatest  of  more  consequence 
than  thy  haste  implieth;  you  confess  a  love  for 
Manolia :  so  does  the  sun  shine  with  warmth  one 
day,  and  the  next  he  withholds  his  influence,  and 
we  are  chilled  all  o'er.  The  fair  moon,  too,  oft  rises 
with  the  glorious  promises  of  the  sun,  but  ever 
fails  fulfilling  those  hopes  she  inspires ;  for  oft,  as 
she  rises  and  increases  in  splendor,  at  her  meridian 
height,  the  cold  has  become  more  intense ;  thou 
rnayest,  Eossius,  have  inclined  to  other  teachings 
and  inferences ;  but  our  happiness  is  none  the  less 


THE   VALE   OF   TALLULAH.  57 

secure  by  being  mindful  of  these  admonitions; 
and  it  doth  appear  to  me,  that  my  happiness 
would  find  a  void  away  from  these  waters." 

"  How  canst  thou  doubt  him,  who,  like  Rossius, 
has  abandoned  his  comrades,  and  all  of  his  pur 
suits,  his  ambition,  too,  which  has  been  the  main 
spring  of  his  action,  and  at  the  instant  when  the 
first  acquisition  of  his  inspired  hopes  are  just 
within  reach :  for  I  had  but  to  return  with  my 
class,  to  have  had  conferred  on  me  the  first  honors 
of  our  institution ;  in  so  doing  my  personal  sacrifice 
can  in  no  wise  compare  with  the  grief  I  suffer 
from  the  well  known  affliction  it  must  bring  upon 
my  parents,  brother  and  sister;  Manolia,  thou 
doeth  a  seeming  injustice  in  your  comparisons,  if 
you  suppose  that  my  affections  may,  in  the  slight 
est  degree,  be  compared  (in  the  manner  you  have 
done)  to  that  glorious  luminary;  at  this  instant 
inspiring  the  whole  of  creation  to  animation  and 
life;  everything  appearing  redolent  at  his  first 
rising.  The  mimosa  and  sensitive  plant  lift  up 
and  expand  their  withered,  contracted  foliage  in 
early  morn,  and  then,  in  the  decline  of  eve,  they 
again  appear  to  wither  and  blight;  from  these 
periodical,  temporary  suspensions  of  his  warming 
influences  are  we  to  infer  that  there  has  been  the 
slightest  alienation  ?  The  sun  is  at  times  eclipsed, 
he  is  obscured  by  fleeting  clouds,  but  Ave  are  not 
to  infer  from  this  that  his  brilliance  and  vivifying 


58  MANOLIA;   OR, 

influences  are  at  all  impaired.  Such,  I  assure 
you,  I  will  ever  prove  to  you.  And  what  the 
moon,  too,  appeareth  to  be,  she  is  ever  constant 
in.  She  lends  a  brilliance  to  our  darkest  hours, 
and  in  doing  this  she  is  not  less  faithful,  only 
her  slumberings  are  of  longer  duration ;  but  what 
she  first  appeareth  to  be,  she  ever  proveth  inalien 
able  in ;  so  it  doth  appear  to  me  that  thy  argu 
ments,  and  alleged  objections,  but  argue  in  my 
behalf;  and  as  to  the  last  objection — your  love 
for  these  thine  own  rivers — I  do  declare  mine 
own  love  for  them  doth  outvie  in  admiration,  all 
that  thou  ever  boasted,  for  it  was  upon  the  west 
ern  bank  of  the  identical  stream,  which,  from 
these  you  name,  does  flow,  that  I  have  ever  lived ; 
there,  still,  my  parents  dwell,  and  sister,  too — so 
like  thine  own  self,  that  I  almost  mistake  thee, 
and  would  gladly  take  thee  home  with  me." 

"  Eossius,"  replied  Manolia,  "  thou  art  so  ex 
pert  in  argument  that  in  future  I'll  prove  more 
circumspect  and  furnish  you  with  no  more  of 
such,  as  thou  canst  thus  paraphrase  to  my  disad 
vantage  ;  but  I  do  feel  such  an  interest  in  that 
sister  of  yours,  of  whom  you  speak,  that  I  am 
sure  I  would  gladly  have  you  bring  her.  O  !  that 
I  could  have  such  a  one  for  my  companion !  if 
she  is  so  like  myself,  how  shall  I  discern  which  is 
Manolia,  and  which  is  thy  sister;  I  am  sure  I 
would  know  no  difference  in  my  love;  tell  me 


THE   VALE   OF  TALLULAH.  5V) 

her  name,  and  I  will  take  her  at  once  for  my  com 
panion,  and  call  on  her  by  name,  and  hold  daily 
conversation  with  her;  by  that  means  acquire 
more  skill  to  enable  me  better  to  divert  thy  inge 
nuity.  I  wish  she  was  here  to  help  me  at  this 
time." 

"  Manolia,"  replied  Eossius,  "  thou  art  sadly  in 
error  in  supposing  yourself  in  need  of  any  assist 
ance;  it  is  Eossius  who  is  thy  victim;  and  he 
would  gladly  avail  himself  of  the  winning  elo 
quence  of  a  sister's  love — whom  we  call  lolia — 
her  name  so  much  resembles  thine — but  not  by 
half  so  much  as  she  doth  in  person — she  lives  one 
hundred  miles  south  of  this;  an  Indian  mound 
points  out  her  home,  around  whose  base  she 
delights  to  linger,  in  search  of  those  trophies 
which  give  such  interest  to  those  spots  where  our 
red  predecessors  lived;  do,  Manolia,  consent  to 
go  with  me  and  join  lolia,  your  congenial  spirit." 

"Eossius,  thou  art  too  strong  in  thy  persua 
sions,  and  it  does  appear,  if  obstacles  were  not  too 
abundant,  and  magnified,  thou  couldst  gain  thy 
point;  I  know  not  what  else  to  say;  but  thy 
beauteous  sister  I  do  already  adore,  I  must  con 
fess.  Eossius!  withdraw  thyself;  for  yonder 
comes  the  old  Indian,  and  day  after  to-morrow  we 
appoint  to  continue  our  talk  of  your  angel  sister, 
whom  I  do  already  outvie  thee  in  loving." 


60  MANOLIA;    OK, 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

WHEN  this  interesing  tale  was  first  related  to 
us  up  to  this  •  point,  we  thought  we  had  never 
before  felt  our  sympathies  so  worked  upon  in 
behalf  of  one,  as  they  were  for  our  young  hero ; 
and  it  was  a  long  time  (being  interrupted)  before 
the  balance  of  his  story  was  related ;  we  strove 
to  anticipate  Eossius'  after  history;  the  expres 
sion  of  young  Eender,  "  Whom  the  gods  deter 
mine  to  destroy,  they  previously  deprive  of  rea 
son  ;"  this  remark  falling  with  such  weight  upon 
the  old  professor — "  sounding  so  like  a  presenti 
ment,"  said  he — -that  my  apprehensions  were  con 
stantly  excited,  and  to  such  a  degree,  that  the 
lovely  mountain  girl,  with  all  of  her  native  beauty 
and  talent,  failed  up  to  this  period,  winning  over 
to  Aer,  my  predilections  for  Eossius. 

But  poor  Manolia,  she  descended  the  ladder 
with  the  trepidation  of  a  fawn  just  aroused  from 
its  layer,  by  the  hunter's  approach;  she  feared 
that  Oothlacoochy  had  discovered  Eossius,  and 
probably  overheard  some  of  the  conversation; 
which,  in  that  event,  would  likely  reach  her 
parents'  ears;  and  this  probably  would  lead  to 
the  inevitable  overthrow  of  their  lovely  paradise. 
When  the  tempter  appeared  to  Eve  he  approached 


THE   VALE   OF  TALLULAH.  61 

as  a  flattering  friend  ;  and  with  this  mighty  lever, 
woman's  susceptibility  to  flattery  was  fully  ascer 
tained,  which  led  to  her  downfall.  Beware,  ye 
descendants  of  our  first  parents — ye,  likewise, 
may  meet  with  a  like  destiny ! 

This  novel,  if  worthy  to  be  dignified  with  the 
title,  is  not  intended  to  go  forth  without  a  moral 
lesson:  and  if  thought,  and  investigation,  should 
grow  out  of  it  upon  any  one  of  the  questions  to 
which  we  direct  our  criticisms,  viz :  politics,  mo 
rals  of  associations,  the  ultra  tendencies  of  the 
times,  fanaticism,  &c.,  &c.,  so  as  to  induce  us  to 
arrive  at  more  just  conclusions,  the  author's  aim 
will  have  been  accomplished.  Our  aim  is  not  so 
much  detraction,  where  it  seemeth  to  be,  as  to 
stimulate  and  bolster  up  the  more  humble,  shrink 
ing  portion  of  our  population,  who  have  no  oppor 
tunities  afforded  them  of  joining  in  with  the  tin 
selled  circles  of  the  fashionable  world,  with  all  of 
their  associations.  We  incline  to  dignify  even 
the  huntsman's  pursuits,  that  it  may  not  prove 
sterile  as  to  mental  improvement ;  but  let  no  time 
pass  by  without  an  effort  to  accomplish  some 
thing  or  other  than  amusement. 

The  fastidious  moralist  might  say,  our  object 

might  have  been  more  successfully  obtained,  by 

adopting  some  more  sober  and  dignified  mode  of 

appeal   to  the   world.     Perhaps   not;     for   those 

6 


62  MANOLIA;   OR, 

upon  whose  minds  we  desire  mostly  to  engage, 
and  act  upon,  would  be  attracted  by  nothing,  but 
something  of  the  character  of  romance.  These 
remarks  sound,  the  critic  would  say,  like  the  pre 
face  of  a  book.  In  answer  to  which,  we  would 
remark,  that  one-half  of  the  casual  readers  of  the 
day  never  look  for  once  at  a  preface. 


THE   VALE   OF  TALLULAH. 


CHAPTEE  IX. 

WHEN  the  class  reached  the  college  campus  on 
their  return,  under  the  command  of  their  pro 
fessor,  of  whom  we  have  alluded,  they  met  the  old 
Prex,  who  inquired  if  all  had  returned  in  safety  ? 
to  which  Julius,  Eossius'  room-mate,  immediately 
replied — "  All  excepting  Eossius." 

"And  what  have  you  done  with  Eossius?" 
asked  the  president. 

"  He  was  so  much  interested  with  the  moun 
tains,"  replied  Julius,  "the  falls  and  strange  sights, 
which  the  country  presented,  that  he  concluded  to 
turn  deserter,  that  he  might  appropriate  more 
time,  to  be  able  better  to  appreciate  what  he 
saw." 

Eender  immediately  put  in,  "I  think  it  more 
likely  those  spiritual  rappers  we  encountered  have 
worked  on  his  brain  to  the  addling  point  of  Faren- 
heit ;  for  after  the  appearance  of  that  beautiful  spi 
rit,  of  which  ten  thousand  could  dance  on  the 
point  of  a  cambric  needle,  if  what  we  are  told  of 
spirits  be  true,  that  they  occupy  no  portion  of 
space;  the  boy  has  stuck  so  close  to  his  room 
for  the  past  four  years,  and  seen  so  little  of  the 
girls,  that  he  doth  readily  conceive  them  to  be  as 
pure  and  etherial  as  an  Iris  glittering  through  a 


64  MANOLIA;    OK, 

cloud  of  spray ;  he  thinks  a  girl  fit  for  his  wor 
ship  should  be  none  other  than  one  divested  of 
all  flesh  and  blood ;  and  methinks  the  boy  is  in 
pursuit  of  such  a  phantom,  unless  by  this  time  he 
has  lost  his  footing  from  the  Devil's  Pulpit,  or  the 
more  giddy  height,  called  the  Student's  Rostrum, 
and  been  swallowed  up  in  the  vortex  below ;  if  so, 
our  class  will  be  without  a  valedictorean." 

"Render,"  replied  Julius,  "I  always  thought 
that  thou  possessed  the  most  unfeeling  heart — • 
now  thou  hast  convinced  us  all  of  the  truth  of  it ; 
thou  hast  spoken  sacrilegiously,  both  of  the  girls, 
and  also  of  our  worthy  Rossius.  Thou  knowest 
full  well,  that  thou  art  trifling  in  this  matter,  and 
creating  false  impressions  with  our  president.  Ros 
sius,  I  know,  has  always  been  more  skeptical  of 
all  these  delusions  of  scheming  than  you  yourself; 
and  I  would  sooner  suspect  you  of  becoming  a 
medium  of  spiritual  legerdemain,  Swedenborgian- 
ism,  or  Mormonism,  than  I  ever  should  Rossius — • 
the  three  sects  he  has  always  characterized  as  '  trio 
nobile  fratrum.' " 

"Julius,"  said  Render,  "thy  likings  run  to  such 
fastidious  extremities,  that  thou  art  ever  watchful 
of  insult  being  intended.  If  my  appreciation  of 
Rossius  were  less,  thou  hadst  got  thyself  in  ill-favor 
with  me  long  ere  this ;  but  were  it  not  my  natural 
inclination,  I  would  assail  Rossius  to  challenge 
thy  defence ;  if  he  were  without  an  advocate,  he 


THE   VALE  OF  TALLULAH.  65 

would  find  in  me  a  ready  volunteer;  but  thou 
seemest  ever  to  be  his  retainer,  and  thou  art  so 
well  posted  in  the  case  of  thy  client,  that  thou 
wantest  no  cohort." 

"  I  am  glad  to  see  your  colors  struck,"  said  Ju 
lius  ;  "  I  merely  entered  on  my  chum's  defence, 
because  of  his  absence — no  such  one  as  Rossius 
need  bespeak  even  the  federal  bar  as  his  advocate, 
much  less  you,  or  I ;  he  possesses,  in  too  eminent 
a  degree,  the  character  of  our  beloved  state,  ever 
mindful  of  her  own  extended  resources,  possess 
ing  the  will  and  capacity  to  maintain  them.  Like 
all  other  Georgians,  he  acknowledges  no  superior; 
and  this  peculiarity  of  our  people,  I  have  thought, 
accounts  for  the  state  never  having  had  what  is 
called,  a  great  man,  a  leader,  or  dictator.  The 
general  diffusion  of  the  commodity,  called  great 
ness,  is  too  general  to  allow  of  any  monopoly ; 
thou  partakest  too  much  of  the  tendencies  of  thy 
own  state,  Render,  too  given  to  Aero- worship,  or 
the  one-man  control,  and  him  alone  to  be  respected 
and  rule  or  ruin,  giving  no  quarters  to  anybody 
else,  excepting  him  of  your  deification." 

To  which  Render  replied,  "I  think  I  have  read 
sornewheres,  that  men  of  ordinary  capacity  are 
ever  anxious  to  exalt  the  states  above  the  general 
government,  wishing  to  attach  more  consequence 
to  the  state  department,  the  sphere  wherein  they 
G* 


66  MANOLIA;   OK, 

expect  to  figure ;  their  rank  not  adapting  them 
for  the  national  councils  of  our  government.  Per 
haps,  Julius,  their  argument  is  a  parallel  case  with 
yours,  in  not  conceding  greatness  to  others,  inclin 
ing  to  the  general  grading  system,  that  fortu 
itously  some  might  be  lifted  up." 

Says  the  old  Prex :  "  Young  gentlemen,  thou 
appearest  to  be  more  of  politicians,  than  what  thy 
persons  would  imply ;  for  thy  attire  is  more  of 
the  soldier,  just  having  passed  through  a  cam 
paign,  with  no  regard  to  ablutions,  and  withal 
each  one  of  you  appeareth  as  lean  and  hungry 
as  a  Cassius;  and  that  these  important  matters 
might  be  attended  to,  I  would  advise  a  truce,  and 
have  a  pitch  battle  in  your  society  halls ;  but  this 
thing  of  Rossius'  not  returning,  disconcerts  me 
much — I  would  have  preferred  his  not  becoming 
naturalist,  or  geologist,  until  after  we  have  done 
with  him." 

As  the  company  was  about  adjourning  for  their 
rooms  in  college,  Julius  could  not  think  of  sub 
mitting  to  Eender's  last  insinuation,  without  a  re 
joinder  :  "  What  you  meant,  Eender,  to  imply  by 
your  grading  system,  is  but  one  and  the  same 
with  agrarianism,  I  suppose,  and  there  is  not  a 
fellow  in  this  college  more  of  one  than  yourself; 
for  it  does  appear,  that  you  never  see  a  student 
with  a  new  coat  on,  unless  you  talk  of  it  in  such 
a  manner  as  to  induce  the  belief,  that  you  would 


THE   VALE   OF   TALLULAH.  67 

have  it  split  in  two,  and  the  one  half  given  to 
you.  If  a  boy  shines  in  any  one  thing,  thou  art 
ever  ready  with  thy  everlasting  harpoons  to  trans 
fix  him.  I  think  thou  hadst  better  join  the 
whalers — methinks  whalebone  and  sperm  would 
be  cheapened,  the  girls  and  boys  both  benefited." 

Eender,  laughing,  "Thou  hast  indeed  taken 
what  thou  sayest  is  my  vocation,  from  me,  and  I 
must  confess  I  have  not  wherewith  to  place  the 
sole  of  my  feet — thou  dost  outherod  Herod,  and 
I  am  not  a  '  circumstance '  to  thee,  in  piling  on 
wormwood — my  bitters,  which  I  do  like  to  ad 
minister,  are  always  intended  as  a  tonic;  but  thine, 
of  the  corrosive  sublimate." 

"  Thou  art  candid,"  replied  Julius,  "  in  acknow 
ledging  thy  appetites,  favoring  a  little  of  the 
cherry  tree,  smothered  in  an  ocean  of  'ball  face.'  "* 

Upon  their  separation  for  their  respective  rooms, 
Eender  sang  out,  "I  think  thou  standest  in  need  of 
a  little  of  the  'all.  joyful,'"*  to  stay  up  thy  boasted 
virtues,  for  thou  art  losing  thy  wonted  character 
for  gentleness,  and  a  small  glass  might  serve  to 
soften  thine  asperities." 

"I'll  wait,"  retorted  Julius,  "to  see  the  result 
of  the  experiment  on  thyself,  for  I  venture  it  will 
not  go  long  untried." 

*  A  cheap  white  whiskey. 


68  MANOLIA;  OR, 

Julius  entered  his  room,  which  put  an  end  to 
their  game  at  sharp  shooting ;  he  threw  himself 
in  his  old  arm  chair,  facing  Eossius',  and  solilo 
quized  thus  :  "My  chum;  I  shall  feel  the  want  of 
thy  company  more  than  ever,  since  our  books  are 
laid  upon  the  shelf,  and  nothing  assigned  us  now 
to  perform  but  to  prepare  our  addresses  for  com 
mencement,  in  whieh  we  might  have  been  of  mu 
tual  aid.  At  this  instant,  Cassanio,  the  brother  of 
Eossius,  a  sophomore,  entered,  and  with  excite 
ment  said : 

"Julius,  I  understand  that  you  have  returned 
without  my  brother,  tell  me  what  under  the  sun 
has  become  of  him  ;  I've  heard  several  conflicting 
accounts  of  him,  each  one  savouring  so  strongly 
of  romance  that  I  believed  every  mother's  son  of 
them  lied  in  their  own  teeth ;  and  I  have  come  to 
hear  your  statement,  knowing  that  whatever  thou 
sayest  of  Eossius  I  can  rely  upon ;  though  I  am 
troubled  much,  and  would  have  gladly  have  none 
of  you  to  have  returned,  since  thou  hast  left  my 
brother,  unless  thy  account  of  him  is  more  intel 
ligible  than  even  the  professor  gave  of  him." 

"Cassanio,"  said  Julius,  "be  seated  in  your 
brother's  chair,  and  come,  move  into  our  room, 
and  I  will  be  better  reconciled  in  his  absence.  I 
can  but  relate  to  you,  Cassanio,  what  I  do  know, 
but  only  I  fear  to  place  myself  in  the  same  cate- 


THE   VALE   OF   TALLULAH.  69 

gory  with  all  of  the  rest  whom  you  have  heard 
speak  of  him  ;  the  long  and  short  of  it  is,  nothing 
but  uncertainty  and  doubt  hangs  over  Rossius' 
future  plans  and  destiny.  He  labored  under  a 
very  strange  sort  of  infatuation,  and  appeared  like 
one  in  a  dreamy  lethargy,  from  which  all  we  could 
do  and  say  could  not  arouse  him ;  I  followed  him 
and  argued  with  him,  and  remonstrated  as  long  as 
I  could;  his  replies  were,  it  is  true,  frequently  in 
character  with  himself;  but  persisted  in  wander 
ing  off  farther  and  farther  up  that  turbulent  stream, 
of  which  his  mind  seemed  to  have  partook.  When 
this  became  apparent,  and  I  could  do  nothing  with 
him,  I  had  overstayed  my  time  and  could  stick  to 
him  no  longer.  I  left  him  several  miles  above  the 
falls,  on  the  banks  of  the  Tallulah,  urging  me  to 
go  on  still,  repeating  a  Latin  quotation:  'Satius 
est  petere  fontes  quam  sectari  rivulos.' " 

Cassanio  hurriedly  repeated  the  translation,  and 
remarked : 

"Better  to  seek  the  fountain  than  follow  the 
rivulet ;  I  suppose  by  that  he  meant  to  drink  at 
the  head  fountain  of  Tallulah." 

"I  wish,"  replied  Julius,  "the  fount,  when  he 
reaches  it,  may  have  the  effect  to  satiate  his  am 
bitious  thirst  and  appease  his  restiveness." 

Inquired  Cassanio  :  "  Did  he  appear  in  any  way 
beside  himself,  or  unwell,  in  travelling  up?" 


70  MANOLIA;  OR, 

"Never  better,  or  more  like  himself,"  said  Julius, 
"  until  reaching  the  falls ;  the  angelic  beauty,  as 
ne  termed  the  object  which  we  all  did  see  upon  an 
inaccessible  height  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
river  from  where  we  stood.  The  apparition,  as  it 
appeared  to  be,  was  so  unexpected  to  us  all,  that 
we  were  dumb-foundered.  The  professor  gave  a 
strange  philosophical  explanation  of  the  causes 
which  produced  the  phenomena,  as  he  termed  it ; 
and  whether  he  believed  it  a  phenomena  resulting 
from  natural  causes  or  not,  I  have  my  doubts, 
but  such  was  his  explanation  given  to  Eossius. 
I  told  Eossius,  that  I  had  never  seen  an  eagle,  but 
that  it  must  be  a  tall  white  bird  of  that  species, 
which  had  been  perched  on  this  high  rock  all 
night  and  covered  o'er  with  spray.  The  sudden 
disappearance  of  the  object,  whatever  it  was,  gave 
credence  to  what  I  said ;  the  skeptical,  supersti 
tious  portion  verily  believe  it  to  be  a  spirit,  a 
'  simon  pure ;'  as  much  so  they  said  as  any  the 
spiritual  rappers  had  ever  raised,  the  truth  of 
which,  they  said,  was  too  well  established  to  admit 
of  doubt." 

"  But,"  replied  Cassanio,  "  do  you  think  my 
brother's  brain  was  so  addled  as  to  be  one  of  the 
latter,  for  I  have  read  accounts  of  some  soft  ones 
having  lost  their  reason  by  such  influences." 

"  0  !"  replied  Julius,  "not  at  all;  he  believed  it 


THE   VALE   OF   TALLULAII. 


71 


none  other  than  a  pretty  girl,  and  she  over 
whelmed  his  maiden  affections,  like  a  storm,  we 
all  know  how  to  appreciate  his  unconquerable 
ambition,  running  almost  into  enthusiasm.  My 
own  impression  is,  if  Eossius  succeeds  in  finding 
out  the  object,  or  if  he  fails  after  so  a  long  a  time, 
all  will  be  right  again ;  but  what  I  apprehend  is, 
that  in  the  pursuit  of  this  darling  object  among 
those  dangerous  cliffs  and  irresistible  torrents,  he 
may  lose  his  life;  his  eagerness  will  impel  him 
forward  to  such  narrow  passes  upon  slippery 
shelving  rocks,  that  he  may  go  over  and  never  bo 
heard  from.  I  trembled  for  him  frequently  before 
we  separated,  and  if  he  fails  returning  by  com 
mencement,  my  conviction  will  be,  that  this  has 
been  the  tragic  result  of  his  romantic  adventure." 

"  Julius,"  said  Cassanio,  "  how  would  it  answer 
for  me  to  push  right  off  in  search  of  him  ?" 

""Well,"  replied  Julius,  "I  think  it  would 
avail  nothing,  for  it  has  been  five  days  since  I 
separated  from  him,  and  by  this  time  I  think  his 
fate  is  pretty  well  sealed — you  had  better  take  the 
matter  quietly  and  wait  the  issue." 

"  I  know  full  well,"  said  Cassanio,  "  that  I  ever 
shall  rest  with  bad  content  for  not  having  gone 
in  pursuit,  if  perchance  he  never  should  return ; 
in  such  an  event,  what  would  be  the  upbraiding 
of  my  own  affections  ?  for  Julius,  thou  knowest 


72  MAXOLIA;    OR, 

that  my  love  for  my  brother,  rivalled  the  love 
poor  Rossi  us  had  for  his  ;  and  I  do  know  he  loved 
me  better  than  he  loved  himself;  and  as  to  that 
overwhelming  feeling  thou  talkest  of,  which  this 
nymph  inspired  him  to,  I  know  not  to  what  height 
the  velocity  of  its  ascension  has  lifted  him  to.  I 
do  fear  what  Render  says  of  his  brain  may  not  be 
without  foundation.  Ye  gods,  how  strangely  thou 
dost,  at  times,  work  upon  frail  man." 


STffl 

THE    VALE   OF   TALLULAH.  «J 


CHAPTER  X. 

THE  two  weeks  from  the  return  of  the  class 
from  the  falls,  to  commencement,  had  passed; 
comment  and  speculations  concerning  the  probable 
fate  of  Rossius  engaged  the  attention  of  every 
student,  as  well  as  the  faculty,  and  community  at 
large ;  the  night  before  commencement,  Cassanio, 
with  hurried  steps,  entered  Julius'  room.  His 
esteem  for  Julius  was  next  to  that  he  bore  to 
Rossius;  in  fact  he  was  cherished  by  the  two 
brothers  almost  as  one.  Says  Cassanio  : 

"Now  Julius,  you  see  that  your  speculations 
about  Rossius'  returning  this  evening  to  astonish 
us  all,  and  take  his  part  in  to-morrow's  drama,  is 
all  at  fault ;  and  thy  worst  apprehensions  have  now 
become  my  convictions.  Julius,  God  knows  I 
could  stand  this  thing  well  on  my  own  account, 
as  dearly  as  I  love  the  boy ;  the  thing  is  narrowed 
down  to  such  a  point,  that  it  does  appear,  that 
there  is  not  a  hook  left  to  hang  a  hope  upon." 

And  now,  reader,  during  the  pause  of  the  con 
versation  between  those  confiding  youths,  and  in 
the  very  midst  of  our  tale,  if  you  are  inspired 
with  that  deep  solicitude  which  the  author  was, 
7 


74  MAXOLIA;   OR, 

some  hopes  and  fears  must  have  been  elicited  in 
behalf  of  our  young  hero  Rossius ;  and  many  are 
the  reasons  which  elicit  these  anxious  sensations 
in  different  individuals.  A  patriotic  bosom  must 
be  awakened  with  the  most  anxious  inquiries  about 
young  Rossius ;  if  from  no  other  incentives  than 
that  a  youth  from  our  beloved  state,  of  such  bril 
liant  promise  for  usefulness  to  our  commonwealth, 
one  possessing  such  high-toned  ambition,  and 
rare  endowments,  with  a  popularity  unrivalled 
among  the  faculty,  as  well  as  students,  having  just 
arrived  at  the  threshold  of  the  theatre  of  active 
life ;  then,  should  be  so  suddenly  paralyzed ;  and 
the  high  hopes  of  all  made  shipwreck  of.  Now, 
if  our  patriotic  emotions  could  so  touch  our  sym 
pathetic  natures,  causing  such  vibrations  in  the 
heart's  affections ;  what  must  be  the  convulsions 
of  those,  who  are  much  more  endeared  by  fireside, 
domestic  associations  of  love's  relationship  ?  Alas ! 
poor  Rossius!  was  one  universal  exclamation. 
But  ah  !  my  pen  fails  me,  when  I  turn  for  a  mo 
ment  to  the  youth's  beloved  home;  my  mouth 
refuses  to  give  utterance  of  the  pangs  of  a  darling 
sister's  love ;  a  mother  too ;  for  he  was  born  unto 
her,  first  of  all;  and  a  fond  father,  now  in  the 
winter  of  life,  being  made  glorious  summer  by  the 
brilliance  of  his  rising  son,  too  suddenly  again  to 
be  convulsed  into  the  winter  of  discontent;  a  bro- 


THE   VALE   OF   TALLULAH.  75 

ther,  too,  left  struggling  in  a  lower  class,  high- 
souled,  sensitive,  and  talented,  like  his  brother, 
whom  he  ever  thought  worthy  of  his  imitation ; 
in  truth,  he  was  his  brother's  exact  prototype,  and 
his  lamentations  are  the  most  excruciating  of  all ; 
for  now  when  every  excuse  and  pretext,  that 
Julius'  love  could  devise,  aided  by  his  ingenuity, 
for  Rossius'  delay,  had  been  exhausted,  the 
brother  is  brought  to  the  rack,  as  we  would  judge 
from  his  last  exclamation;  and  after  the  first  ebu- 
lition  had  somewhat  abated,  his  feelings  very 
naturally  turned  towards  home,  and  its  endear 
ments.  "Home,"  said  Cassanio,  "can  no  more  be 
home  ;  for  while  memory  last,  how  can  I  ever  find 
pleasure  upon  the  silvery  waters  of  our  beautiful 
Savannah,  or  hunt  with  delight  amid  her  hills  and 
vallies." 

"  Othello's  occupation  was  gone ;"  but  the  re 
turning  home  to  his  friends,  without  his  brother, 
and  to  relate  the  sad,  eventful  account,  as  it  was 
now  currently  believed  about  Eossius ;  he  felt  it 
almost  suicidal,  that  his  tongue  should  give  utter 
ance  of  such  sad  tidings,  as  would  wound  so  deeply, 
and  so  irreconcilably,  those  most  endeared  to  him 
of  all  on  earth  beside.  His  moral  and  physical 
courage  were  pre-eminently  characteristic;  but 
they  failed  to  sustain  him  on  this  trying  occasion ; 
and  to  whom  should  he  appeal  ?  No  other  but 


76  MAISTOLIA;    OR, 

Eossius'  noble  chum,  and  thus  he  addressed  Ju 
lius: 

"  0 1  Julius,  thou  comest  nearest  to  Eossius,  of 
all  others,  and  wast  like  a  brother,  and  loved  him 
as  such;  thou,  alone,  canst  do  more  to  reconcile 
my  friends  than  any  other;  it  is  utterly  impos 
sible  that  I  can  return  home  without  you ;  con 
sent,  Julius,  to  take  the  lead  of  me  home,  and  re 
late  to  my  friends  Eossius'  sad  history." 


THE   VALE   OF   TALLULAH.  77 


CHAPTER  XL 

I  DARE  say,  the  experience  of  every  observant 
mind  has,  in  his  intercourse  with  the  world, 
marked  the  singular  variety  of  character  in  the 
same  schools,  as  the  foregoing  serves  to  illustrate; 
under  the  garb  of  a  superstitious  reverence,  the 
weak  and  unphilosophical  mind  is  frequently  hur 
ried  into  errors,  the  most  ckimerical  and  absurd. 
The  fact,  that  miracles  were  performed  in  the  days 
of  Christ  and  the  apostles,  does  not,  by  any  means, 
make  it  sacrilegious,  that  we  should  deny  their 
practicability  in  our  age,  eitaer  by  the  good  or 
the  bad.  In  fact,  since  the  writings  of  the  New 
Testament,  none,  we  think,  but  the  latter,  have  at 
tempted  to  practice  the  delusion;  though  many 
of  the  piously  inclined  have  been  made  proselytes 
of.  Witchcraft,  in  every  age,  practised  under 
false  and  varied  pretexts,  has  met  with  the  most 
strenuous  hostility  among  the  good,  and  their  in 
ventive  ingenuity  put  to  the  utmost  in  devising 
ways  and  means  of  torture,  the  most  efficient  for 
its  suppression.  The  more  modern  practitioners 
of  that  sort  of  legerdemain,  have  assumed  a  garb 
somewhat  more  imposing  and  sacred  in  their  pro 
fessions,  that  they  may  screen  themselves  from  the 
7* 


78  MANOLIA;  OK, 

taunts  and  maledictions  that  had  already  been 
forged  against  witchcraft;  and  what  renders  it 
more  surprising  in  our  age,  with  such  a  might  of 
power  in  the  ascendant,  joined  into  a  crusade 
against  everything  heretofore  known  and  prac 
ticed  as  absolutely  discreditable  to  "  this  fast  age 
of  progression  ;"  these  empyreans  in  politics,  with 
their  magician's  wand,  used  so  dexterously  in  de 
vising  pretexts  for  the  multiplication  of  the  pub 
lic  domain,  and  the  enforcing  oaths  upon  foreign 
ers,  (known  to  be  hostile  to  our  institutions,) 
thereby  extorting  allegiance  in  favor  of  "  Young 
America"  and  its  progress. 

Ye  gods  I  not  yet  satiated,  but  still  casting 
about  with  tears  in  their  eyes,  as  an  ancient  mon 
arch  was  wont  to  do,  for  new  conquests  and  for 
more  subjects.  It  matters  not  how  discordant,  we 
have  plenty  of  democratic  infusion,  meaning 
thereby,  nothing  more  or  less,  than  we  have  all 
sorts  of  infusions,  and  thy  likings  for  association 
can  readily  be  accommodated :  the  old  adage,  that 
"birds  of  a  feather  flock  together,"  being  false 
and  discarded,  (in  one  sense,)  as  heterodoxical  in 
our  vocabulary.  "  To  the  westward,  ho !  the 
march  of  empire  goes,"  (not  stopping  short  of 
away  beyond  the  western  border,)  and  "  manifest 
destiny,"  are  the  conclusive  arguments,  cut  and 
dried  in  readiness,  as  a  solution  to  all  posers." 

The  transcendentalist  effects  great  opposition  at 


THE   VALE   OF  TALLULAH.  79 

times  to  the  class  we  have  spoken  of;  but  essen 
tially  differ  in  nowise  whatever,  only  which  shall 
pocket  the  most  of  the  stakes.  They  both  invoke 
the  aid  of  something  tantamount  to  spiritual  com 
munications  ;  the  one  is  advised  by  a  secret  com 
munication  with  destiny,  and  mandates  received 
by  the  prophet  or  high  chief,  become  imperious ; 
and  all  conflicting  opinions  are  instantly  thrown 
into  the  caldron  and  handsomely  harmonized. 
The  other  so  spiritualized  from  on  high,  that  no 
thing  is  to  be  done,  but  to  raise  the  head,  and  lift 
up  the  hands,  and  inspiration  from  the  world  of 
spirits  will  enlighten  the  understanding  to  such  a 
degree,  that  all  human  laws  and  devices  may  be 
substituted  by  something  paramount  to  all  prece 
dents.  All,  whatever  their  name  may  be,  who 
come  under  the  head  of  "abolitionist,"  whether 
of  institutions,  or  law  or  constitutions — and  ye 
deriders  of  conservatism,  if  ye  are  not  classed  with 
one  of  the  above  disturbers  of  the  public  peace 
and  private  order,  you  favor  their  machinations, 
and  might  justly  be  considered  as  accessory. 
Here  we  have  a  conglomeration  mighty  to  do  evil, 
morally  and  politically.  Are  we  to  construe  it 
into  a  natural  proclivity  to  error,  that  so  large  a 
portion  of  the  human  family  should  persist  in  ex 
citing  a  seditious  spirit  against  all  order  and  de 
corum  ?  or,  is  it  owing  to  the  first  principles  of 
education  ?  for  here  we  see  different  tendencies, 


80  MANOLIA;   OR, 

and  different  traits  of  character  among  the  same  set 
of  students,  and  among  the  people  of  our  common 
government.  It  is  true,  the  slightest  causes  will 
bias  our  judgments  or  our  decisions. 

I  recollect,  when  in  college,  a  learned  professor 
insinuated,  (he  being  fat,  and  had  fat  sons,)  that 
dissipation  and  excessive  drink  dried  up  the  blood 
and  emaciated  the  system.  I  was  one  of  the  lean 
ones  of  my  class,  and  took  the  remark  to  myself 
with  great  mortification;  previously  being  flat 
tered  with  the  opposite  opinion,  that  much 
drunkenness  increased  the  circulation,  distended 
the  blood-vessels,  and  worked  out  the  semblance 
of  fatness  and  health. 

The  phrenologist  would  attribute  this  diversity 
of  the  tendency  of  our  race  to  the  licks  they  had 
received  from  "  pine  knots,"  in  the  hands  of  their 
first  teachers ;  wherefore,  the  necessity  of  adopt 
ing  the  systematic  course  already  recommended, 
of  fixing  a  scale  of  measurement  by  which  teachers 
are  to  be  guided.  Let  this  handicuff  practice,  if 
there  are  any  truth  in  it,  be  systematized  in  our 
schools  1  that  in  our  nation  of  people,  the  spirit 
of  acquisitiveness  may  be  developed,  or  that  of 
reverential  obeisance. 

This  part  of  our  book  may  appear  frivolous  and 
irrelevant;  but  to  do  justice  to  the  enforcement 
of  our  convictions  of  the  importance  of  systema 
tizing  our  schools,  we  should  employ  every  means 


THE   VALE   OF  TALLULAH.  81 

and  persist  in  contributing  our  mite  towards  in 
ducing  thought,  and  a  thorough  investigation  of 
the  abuses  and  errors  of  which  we  are  fraught, 
in  the  two  departments  of  government  and  educa 
tion,  and  thereby  elicit  an  investigation  as  to  what 
are  the  most  efficient  correctives.  Improvements 
in  mechanism,  commerce,  and  manufactures,  en 
gross  the  whole  attention  of  America's  ingenuity, 
(barring  party  politics,)  to  the  neglect  of  schools, 
or  teaching,  and  the  perfecting  of  our  language. 
We  desire  most  to  institute  an  inquiry  into  the 
most  practical  method  of  developing  the  moral  as 
well  as  the  intellectual  capacities  of  our  people, 
that  thereby  we  may  more  effectually  perpetuate 
our  liberties,  and  our  institutions ;  and  connected 
with  this  scheme,  let  the  name  of  the  illustrious  pa 
triot,  "Washington,  be  identified,  so  as  to  perpetuate 
his  influence,  rather  than  his  name  only ;  for  the 
latter,  (his  name,)  is  as  likely  to  be,  eventually,  per 
verted  into  evil  as  of  good,  if  we  are  permitted  to 
go  on  heedless  of  his  teachings  ;  and  this  scheme 
of  a  national  institution,  for  accomplishing  teach 
ers  for  their  charge,  would  be  the  bequest  of  that 
people,  found  ever  sustaining  the  constitution  of 
our  common  country,  by  "wisdom,  justice,  and 
moderation"* — "in  hoc  signo  vinces." 

*  The  singular  adaptation  of  this  expression  is,  that  the 
motto  of  Georgia  is  the  constitution  inscribed  on  an  arch,  sus 
tained  by  three  columns,  wisdom  'ustice,  and  moderation. 


82  MAXOLIA;  OR, 


CHAPTER  XII. 

•  OUR  path  may  now  appear  difficult  and  tedious 
to  the  reader,  for  the  "  ultima  thule  "  point  of  every 
avenue  has  been  attained,  and  the  interesting  in 
terrogatory  rests  upon  every  mind,  how  the  differ 
ent  characters  of  my  tale  are  to  be  extricated  from 
the  meshes  into  which  they  became  entangled — 
"tempus  demonstrat  omnia."  Have  'patience, 
reader,  and  follow  us  through  our  tale,  and  its 
moral  will  be  finally  obtained. 

We  know  full  well  the  aversion  the  majority  of 
the  readers  of  our  day  have  for  long  yarns.  Point 
and  condensation,  "multum  in  parvo,"  is  the  seem 
ing  characteristic  of  our  age.  The  railroad  and 
telegraphic  principles,  which  signalize  our  era,  in 
bringing  extreme  points,  as  it  were,  in  contact,  has 
been  applied  to  every  species  of  interests,  mental 
and  physical,  and  he  who  would  obtain  hearers, 
or  readers,  and  make  proselytes,  must  come  up  to 
this  public  standard ;  wherefore,  we  have  intro 
duced  but  few  characters,  and  omitted  a  deal  of 
conversation,  and  many  incidents  overlooked,  with 
the  view  of  abbreviation — a  condiment  beginning 
to  be  observed  everywhere  but  in  our  Congress 
halls,  which  is  an  exception  to  the  general  tenden 
cies — there  it  is,  as  with  the  cotton  planters,  the 


THE   VALE   OF   TALLULAH.  83 

amount  of  crop  in  proportion  to  the  length  of  sea 
son  ;  but  their  knowledge  of  political  economy 
far  exceeds  the  planter's  sagacity  in  domestic  eco 
nomy;  the  latter  is  content  with  the  crop,  look 
ing  to  old  Kentucky  and  other  sections  for  the 
essentials  of  living.  Not  so  however  with  the  po 
liticians — their  crop  is  secured,  and  other  essen 
tials  well  looked  to,  under  the  head  of  stationery, 
documents,  alias  library,  et  cetera,  et  cetera — the 
constructive  mileage  pay,  no  small  item  this  means, 
— if  a  senator  finds  himself  short  in  funds,  he 
sends  home  a  message  by  telegraph,  a  thousand  or 
two  miles,  more  or  less,  gets  a  reply,  and  by  a 
strong  force  of  construction,  he  supposes  he  has 
taken  the  trip  "  in  propria  persona,"  and  the  de 
lusion  is  readily  practiced  upon  his  peers,  the  claim 
admitted ;  the  treasurer  not  such  a  simpleton,  as 
to  doubt  the  sagacity  of  such  a  wise  set  of  law 
givers,  but  unhesitatingly  admits  its  validity.  Our 
Congress  would  vote  to  establish  a  few  more  fede 
ral  cities,  to  afford  an  equal  chance  to  more  of  us, 
for  the  organ  of  constructiveness  is  very  easily 
excited;  but  so  many  of  the  sovereigns  are  too 
proud  to  submit  to  being  called  "public  ser 
vants  " — some  of  us  can't  tolerate  the  ethiopians 
being  called  by  so  humiliating  a  term.  And  it 
does  appear  but  reasonable,  that  the  Christian 
philanthropist  should  look  with  abhorrence  upon 
the  practice,  which  has  been  tolerated  for  too  long 


84  MAXOLIA;    OR, 

a  period,  of  allowing  human  flesh  to  toil  and  sweat 
for  the  favored  few.  Because  a  man  happens  to  find 
a  gold  mine,  or  prove  fortunate  in  politics,  or  com 
merce,  or  trade,  it  is  no  reason  that  he  should  not 
subsist  upon  the  corn  and  wheat  grown  by  the 
sweat  of  his  own  brow.  Some  poor  whites,  as 
well  as  blacks,  are  compelled  to  wear  their  very 
lives  out  in  producing  food,  upon  which  the 
very  horses  of  the  affluent  abolitionist  are  fed. 
The  views  of  that  portion  of  our  population  are 
exceedingly  benevolent  if  they  would  prove  con 
sistent  and  carry  them  out,  and  let  the  principle 
be  extended  to  their  own  color.  Their  views  are 
not  sufficiently  enlarged. 

The  agrarians  have  commenced  the  work  of  hu 
man  alleviation  in  dead  earnest — they  show  a  zeal, 
if  I  understand  them  aright,  which  strikes  at  the 
very  root  of  this  thing  of  slavery  in  the  world — 
they  are  no  discriminators  of  color,  to  the  best  of 
my  knowledge — they  would  have  all  old  figur- 
ings  wiped  out,  and  we  all  begin  "  de  novo ;"  every 
thing  considered  as  property,  thrown  into  one 
common  pile ;  no  claimants  to  any  one  thing,  and 
one  great  lottery  fashioned  out  of  the  world's 
funds;  and  all  draw,  and  afterwards  claim  only 
what  we  draw ;  whether  it  is  a  "  nigger,"  or  an 
Atlantic  steamer.  "  Quere?"  would  the  pampered 
abolitionist,  in  the  event  he  should  draw  the  former, 


THE   VALE   OF   TALLULAH.  85 

and  nothing  else,  keep  him,  or  set  him  free,  and 
do  his  own  washing  and  cooking?  If  he  would 
set  him  free,  then,  in  that  event,  I  must  believe, 
under  existing  circumstances,  he  must,  to  be  con 
sistent,  spend  his  last  dollar  in  purchasing  the 
slaves  of  the  south,  with  the  view  of  liberating 
them,  and  give  a  full  manifestation  of  his  philan 
thropy,  and  go  abroad  as  Nebuchadnezzar  of 
old,  seeking  a  maintainance  upon  the  bounties  of 
Providence. 


MANOLIA;    OB, 


CHAPTEE  XIII. 

IN  our  last  chapter,  we  have  exposed  ourselves 
to  the  assaults  of  the  severest  criticism ;  we  have 
promised  brevity,  and  appropriated  to  ourselves 
the  latitude,  which  one  of  our  distinguished  ora 
tors,  of  the  generation  just  past,  was  ever  inclined 
to  indulge  in  ;  and  he  being  distinguished  for  his 
wit  and  sarcasm,  establishes  the  precedent  as 
worthy  of  being  followed,  if  the  same  view  is  at 
tempted.  The  English  travellers  through  our 
country,  also  furnish  an  abundance  of  examples  for 
our  digression,  whatever  may  be  the  subject,  to 
turn  aside  and  pass  condemnation  on  things  not 
adapted  to  our  taste ;  they  do  it  as  a  matter  of 
course,  as  a  traveller  would  stop  on  the  wayside 
to  kill  a  snake.  Our  professed  greenness,  boast 
ing  so  oft  of  being  "  Young  America,"  that  the 
parent  country  has  thought  it  but  extending  a  pa 
rental  regard,  and  often  administer  a  castigation 
along  with  their  lullabies,  as  is  the  custom  in  our 
domestic  economy ;  this  thing  is  carried  down  into 
every  little  minutia,  to  which  they  were  made  to 
observe  when  inmates  of  the  nursery,  with  the 
fastidiousness  of  an  old  maiden  aunt  in  teaching 
her  young  niece  in  the  use  of  the  napkin,  knife, 
fork,  cup,  and  saucer,  &c.,  &c.  Just  so  are  they 


THE   VALE   OF   TALLULAH.  87 

mindful  of  our  manners  and  customs — and  this 
high  degree  of  sympathy  for  young,  inexperienced 
America,  is  beginning  to  be  felt  by  others  than 
our  parent  country  of  late,  as  the  plea  of  youth 
becomes  louder  and  louder.  A  Kossuth,  too, 
caught  from  England  the  same  kind,  parental  con 
sideration,  more  than  his  sympathies  being  more 
alive,  being  so  intent  upon  obtaining  "  material 
aid ;"  he  carried  his  teaching  into  a  sort  of  national 
paternity,  by  giving  us  a  regular  course  of  lec 
tures  ; — being  learned,  as  his  people  made  him  be 
lieve,  he  indulged  in  a  regular  scanning  out,  and 
parsing  a  constitutional  lesson  for  us ;  he  re 
ceived  the  countenance  of  some  of  the  artificials 
of  our  cities,  and  a  few  old  fogies;  but  when  he 
got  among  the  back-bone  and  sinew  of  proud 
America,  he  found  it  was  with  him,  as  all  English 
dictatorial  travellers  would  perceive,  if  they  had 
the  discernment. 

Occasionally  we  see  one  of  these  travellers  so 
mindful  of  our  gentility,  that  they  travel  with 
the  outfit  of  a  pantry ;  seven-pointed  gold  forks, 
ragout  spoons,  &c.  &c.,  to  show  us  the  manner  in 
which  they  are  to  be  used ;  adopting  the  custom 
of  the  hay  gatherers  in  England.  After  the  hay, 
or  whatever  kind  of  provender  they  may  have 
"  cut  and  dried,"  they  lay  aside  the  scythe  blade, 
or  cutting  knife,  then  take  up  the  pitchfork,  and 
pitch  in  the  load.  The  artificials  old  fogies,  and 


88  MANOLIA;   OE, 

young  American  green  un's,  immediately  com 
menced  the  operation;  some  poor  fellows  could 
afford  nothing  better  than  a  one-prong  fork  to  ope 
rate  with ;  the  pitching  had  necessarily  to  go  on 
so  rapidly — or  nothing  would  be  done — that  some 
few  eyes  were  "  non  est  inventus,"  after  they  were 
through  with  the  experiment ;  and  dyspepsia  and 
heartburn  became  the  fashionable  complaint  among 
all  we  have  alluded  to;  an  additional  cause  of 
these  complaints,  it  was  conceded  to  be  exceed 
ingly  vulgar  to  use  saucers  for  the  legitimate  pur 
pose  for  which  they  were  intended ;  and  Ameri 
cans  being  fond  of  coffee  "  for  coffee's  sake," 
drink  it  frequently  without  cream,  or  milk  ;  and, 
in  the  hurry  of  travel  on  railroads,  for  fear  of  not 
having  time  to  dispose  of  the  two  cups,  and  not 
daring  to  pour  from  the  cup  into  the  saucer — it 
being  vulgar — their  stomachs  and  bronchial  tubes 
soon  stand  in  need  of  being  "  recoppered ;"  these, 
with  other  customs,  such  as  the  imperious  neces 
sity  of  taking  soup  as  first  course  at  dinner,  or 
provide  an  India  rubber  pouch,  after  the  manner 
of  the  pelicans,  if  not  suited  to  taste  or  stomach: 
these  observances  did  not  take  generally  among 
the  more  intelligent;  or  independent  mass.  As  a 
happy  illustration  of  the  estimate  the  latter  class 
placed  upon  the  pretensions  of  these  lords  and 
dukes — who  travel  among  us  to  teach  us  manners 
and  then  to  return  and  write  a  book  of  vitupera 


THE   VALE   OF  TALLULAH.  89 

tion — in  the  south  they  have  met  with  less  favor, 
for  our  people  are  so  accustomed  to  making  but 
two  divisions  in  society — the  republican  freemen 
and  the  slaves — that  all  hailing  from  a  country 
of  royalty  are  appreciated  as  serfs,  as  underlings, 
and  inferiors  to  the  recognized  nobility;  that 
even  our  stage  drivers  feel  a  superiority  over 
them,  as  the  following  anecdote  will  serve  to 
illustrate:  One  of  these  traveling  dukes  was  pass 
ing  through  Georgia,  conceited  in  the  opinion, 
that  others  than  our  negroes  could  be  duped  to 
place  a  factitious  estimate  upon  empty  titles — 
hurried  one  morning  from  the  breakfast  table, 
and  took  the  back  seat  in  the  stage — spreading 
himself  out,  meaning  to  appropriate  the  whole  of 
it  to  his  own  ponderosity,  thereby  depriving  some 
ladies  of  their  rightful  privileges.  After  the  ladies 
finished  their  breakfast,  the  driver  stepped  for 
ward  to  hand  them  in  the  stage ;  but  finding  the 
portly  gentleman  occupying  the  entire  seat,  the 
driver  politely  addressed  him :  "  Be  pleased,  Mister, 
to  make^way  for  the  ladies ;  that  hind  seat  always 
belongs  to  them."  To  which  the  portly  gentle 
man  replied :  "  Sir,  you  are  not  aware,  I  suppose, 

that  /  am  the  Duke  of  ,  traveling  through 

America  for  information."     "  Duke,  eh  ?     Duke, 

I   suppose,   of  a   d — n   ten   acre   turnip   patch," 

replied  the  stage  driver;  and  after  eying  him  a 

8* 


90  MANOLIA;   OB, 

moment,  and  perceiving  that  the  duke  considered 
that  possession  was  not  only  the  ninth  part  but 
the  whole  of  the  law — says  the  driver :  "  Come 
along  with  me,  ladies — taking  them  to  an  empty 
stage  lying  just  at  hand — handed  them  in,  attached 
his  horses  to  it,  cracked  his  whip,  and  left  the 
duke  to  whistle  away  the  day  until  the  next  arri 
val.  Talk  to  one  of  these  of  a  man's  illustrious 
ancestors,  and  rightful  inheritance  of  honors! 
"  Inheritance,  I  rather  think,  of  some  corroding 
disease,  from  too  great  indulgence  of  the  flesh- 
pots.  And  the  very  fact  of  his  wanting  to  claim 
consideration  from  another's  merit,  is  proof  to 
demonstration,  that  he  is  sadly  deficient  of  him 
self,  like  the  bankrupt  seeking  credit  to  sustain 
"  his  sinking  fortunes."  "  Act  well  your  part, 
for  there  all  the  honor  lies." 

We  may  be  told  that  such  opinions  are  enter 
tained  only  among  a  people  where  there  are  none 
who  can  boast  of  an  illustrious  lineage.  It  was 
thus  in  Eome — founded  by  set  of  adventurers — 
soon  becoming  the  mistress  of  the  world,  and  in  a 
short  time  exhibiting  such  a  catalogue  of  heroes, 
orators,  historians  and  poets,  as  scarcely  ever 
flourished,  before  or  since.  Proud  England  her 
self  was  once  but  an  appendage!  The  reign  of 
power  seems  to  be  migratory !  Busyris,  King  of 
Egypt,  boasted  that  his  capital,  Memphis,  on  the 
Nile,  was  as  great,  compared  to  other  cities,  as, 


THE   VALE   OF  TALLULAH.  91 

said  he,  "  Kings  compared  to  me."  Asia  was  once 
the  seat  of  power,  and  where  is  she!  Then 
Greece  struggled  for  the  ascendant  I  Eome  then 
gained  it!  For  a  time  Spain  wore  the  diadem! 
France  afterwards  became  the  abode  of  the  fine 
arts,  in  all  the  essentials  of  greatness,  and  struck 
terror  to  the  world !  Then  proud  Albion  became 
the  emporium  of  great  statesmen,  and  an  extended 
commerce!  America,  now,  is  but  rising  to  her 
zenith. 


92  MANOLIA;   OB, 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

WHEN  we  were  enjoying  one  of  those  rich  fes 
tivals — as  common  to  the  peasant  as  the  king — 
in  beholding  the  gorgeous  scenery  from  the  sum 
mit  of  one  of  those  mountain  heights  which  sur 
round  the  Yale  of  Tallulah,  on  a  tour,  collecting 
materials  for  this  little  volume,  we  were  suddenly 
startled  by  the  abrupt  appearance  of  Eugene  Sue's 
Wandering  Jew.  As  the  wonderfully  strange  old 
character  approached  us,  we  accosted  him — de 
siring  to  know  where  from,  and  where  traveling 
to.  He  made  us  no  reply ;  but  raised  both  hands, 
shook  them  convulsively — also  his  head ;  and  his 
eyes  danced  almost  out  of  their  sockets.  After 
indulging  in  these  convulsive  throes  for  a  few 
moments,  and  going  through  with  a  variety  of 
pantomimes,  these  unaccountable  emotions  were 
excited,  as  I  found  out,  from  two  causes :  the  im 
posing  scenery  of  the  vast  expanse  of  the  "  ocean 
view,"  as  it  has  been  termed,  which  stretched 
away  south,  "  ad  infinitum ;"  and,  on  the  other 
hand,  the  interminable  range,  pile  after  pile,  of 
blue  summits,  had  overwhelmed  the  stranger; 
and  also,  he  wished  to  convey  the  idea,  that  he 
could  neither  hear  nor  speak.  When  I  the  second 
time  addressed  him,  he  drew  from  his  pocket  a 


THE   VALE   OF   TALLULAH.  93 

pencil  and  paper,  and  made  signs  for  a  talk  in 
writing.  I  told  him  he  had  wandered  from  his 
track,  and  was  probably  lost.  He  hooted  at  the 
idea  of  being  lost ;  such  apprehensions  had  never 
occurred  to  him :  the  world  was  his  home,  and 
he  by  no  means  could  get  off  of  it ;  he  had  bui- 
feted  the  waves  of  misfortune ;  adversity  had  been 
his  handmaid;  and  his  hopes  and  dreams  about 
physical  comforts  had  long  since  been  smothered. 
He  had  explored  every  continent,  and  traversed 
the  ocean  and  seas;  had  basked  in  the  balmy 
groves  of  a  tropical  sun,  and  shivered  arnid  polar 
snows.  He  took  from  his  old  coat  a  pocket  com 
pass,  settled  the  needle,  and  then  remarked  that 
he  was  on  his  course.  He  had  no  regard  for 
highways ;  he  was  in  the  habit  of  taking  a  "  bee 
line"  from  one  point  to  another.  I  inquired  of 
him  how  he  did  when  he  came  to  a  river.  He 
squatted,  swelled  his  jaws,  blew  forth  from  his 
mouth,  and  threw  out  his  arms,  each  inscribing  a 
semicircle,  as  in  the  act  of  swimming.  He  paused, 
and  again  surveyed  the  vast  abyss  and  wide  ex 
panse;  and  expressed  satisfaction  that  he  had 
reached  the  end ;  and  was  willing  to  take  passage 
in  one  of  Erricson's  caloric  propellers,  attached  to 
an  aeronautic  ship,  to  launch  forth  into  the  im 
mensity  of  space,  and  soar  to  more  hospitable 
realms,  and  bid  farewell  to  the  world.  He  once 
more  gazed  abroad,  and  thought  he  saw  the  rising 


94:  MANOLIA;   OR, 

black  smoke  from  a  steamer's  chimney.  In  haste 
he  left. 

This  digression  is  inserted  for  the  satisfaction 
of  Eugene  Sue,  who  seemed  so  interested  in  behalf 
of  the  Wandering  Jew,  that  he  wrote  two  books 
about  him;  and  but  let  out  darkness,  for  his 
readers  knew  less  about  the  Wandering  Jew  after 
reading  his  history  of  him,  than  they  did  before 
ever  hearing  of  the  character.  I  should  ever  have 
believed  that  some  of  the  poisonous  drugs  had 
been  administered  to  him,  had  I  not  encountered 
the  strange  character  in  our  mountains. 

We  were  in  hopes  Bulwer  would  have  given 
us  some  clue  to  everything  that  was  novel  and 
interesting  pertaining  to  hidden  mysteries;  and 
that  the  world  would  never  again  make  a  call  for 
a  novel,  as  he  so  monopolized  the  term  "my  novel," 
that  none  of  us  should  ever  again  claim  one.  as 
my  novel,  for  the  fear  it  might  be  supposed  to  be 
Bulwer's  alluded  to ;  and  in  the  monopoly  he  was 
illiberal,  or  we  had  the  right  to  expect  that  the 
fund  of  novelty  would  have  been  exhausted  by 
the  illustrious  novelist;  instead  of  that,  he  has 
given  us  no  novel  at  all,  meaning  thereby,  I  sup 
pose,  that  he  is  no  longer  an  approver  of  novels ; 
for  if  what  he  clauns  as  his  novel  exclusively,  is 
no  novel,  "quod  erat  demonstrandum,"  the  only 
novelty  in  the  novel — we  might  say,  is,  its  con 
taining  no  novelty. 


THE   VALE   OF   TALLULAH.  9..) 

Travel,  certainly,  is  desirable  ;  it  affords  a  very 
great  satisfaction,  and  he  who  has  been  a  consider 
able  traveller,  is  frequently  considered  a  claimant 
of  consideration,  if  for  no  other  reason.  But  when 
indulged  in  like  this  Wandering  Jew,  we  are  then 
no  longer  the  traveller  but  the  wanderer,  and  we 
become  an  object  of  curiosity,  instead  of  one  of 
admiration;  and  when  new  to  this  excess,  it  unfits 
us  for  the  more  reasonable  happy  life  of  domestic 
enjoyment — for  which,  if  one's  taste  is  cultivated, 
and  circumstances  adapted,  there  can  be  found  no 
parallel.  But  let  us  cultivate  a  liberal  spirit  for 
"  Quot  homeines  tot  sentential,"  it  is  best  too,  un 
doubtedly,  that  some  should  make  choice  of  the 
high  seas ;  some  of  the  sea-board ;  some  of  the 
mountains ;  and  others,  the  wiser  majority,  for  the 
middle  country,  where  the  greatest  amount  of  ad 
vantages  can  be  had.  Why  need  a  spirit  of  seem 
ing  contempt  be  cherished  on  the  part  of  either 
section  ?  It  is,  though,  with  these,  as  it  is  with  the 
professions,  and  all  of  the  pursuits  of  life. 

You  will  find  a  species  of  aristocracy  in  every  de 
partment;  even  the  wagoner  walking  the  crowded 
streets,  frequently  entertains  the  most  abiding  con 
tempt  for  those  clothed  in  purple,  and  who  feed 
sumptuously,  denouncing  them  as  drones  upon 
society,  never  being  mindful  of  the  fulfilment  of 
the  injunction  of  their  creator,  that  each  one  shall 
gain  his  living  by  the  sweat  of  his  brow ;  but  con- 


9(>  ilANOLIA;    OK, 

tent  to  subsist  on  the  honest  gains  of  other  men. 
Every  class  claiming  their  own  calling,  as  the 
most  essential  to  the  well  being  and  prosperity  of 
the  world;  this  peculiar  characteristic  of  selfish 
ness  is  to  be  traced  out  into  every  ramification  of 
society ;  even  the  soldier,  he  who  is  ever  ready 
to  wage  war,  whatever  may  be  the  pretext ;  some 
times  for  pay,  for  pillage,  for  renown.  Human 
blood  and  carnage  serves  alone  as  a  stimulus  to 
arouse  their  energies  and  excite  their  inventive 
faculties.  The  hyena  and  jackall  can  make  out 
as  good  a  claim  for  consideration,  unless  self-de 
fence  be  inculcated  as  the  characterizing  spirit,  by 
which  to  be  governed. 

There  was  a  period  in  the  world's  history,  when 
might  made  right ;  and  it  doth  appear  we  have 
made  no  advancement  from  the  principle;  the  civi 
lized  or  Christian  nations  always  had  a  perfect 
right  to  extend  the  area  of  their  own  domination, 
whether  of  freedom  or  despotism,  over  all  barba 
rous  countries,  as  Spain,  England,  and  France  did 
in  the  discovery  of  America.  This  pretext  was 
admitted  by  learned  jurists  to  be  in  accordance 
with  the  laws  of  nations,  but  agreeable  to  the  last 
commentary  on  Vattelle's  law  of  nations,  it  seems 
the  convention  of  jurists  have  determined  that 
"manifest  destiny"  is  hereafter  to  be  the  touch 
stone  by  which  we  are  to  determine  the  right  to 
the  extension  of  a  country's  area. 


THE   VALE   OF   TALLULAH.  97 

The  Pope  has  been  considered  authorized  to 
make  the  decision,  if  a  country  lacks  the  fortitude 
to  do  it  for  herself;  the  necessity  of  a  nation  being 
uncivilized,  were  not  views  sufficiently  enlarged 
to  suit  the  indomitable  spirit  of  progress.  And 
in  pursuance  of  the  manifest  destiny  of  our  appe 
tites  for  fish,  or  fishes,  as  the  case  may  be ;  we 
can  appropriate  to  ourselves  any  shoals  not  de 
fended  by  a  stronger  navy  ;  with  the  same  facility 
that  the  fisherman  converts  a  shoal  of  fishes  into 
barrels  of  fish.  Now  if  Washington  Irving  fell 
from  his  dignity  so  far,  as  to  ask  whether  sturgeons 
sprang  out  water  by  the  elasticity  of  their  own 
noses,  or  by  the  flounce  of  the  tail,  I  might  be 
permitted  to  ask  at  what  juncture  do  fishes  become 
fish?  when  the  net  encircles  them,  or  when  thrown 
into  the  fishing  smack  ?  or  do  they  require  to  be 
deviscerated  first?  or  when  salted  into  the  barrel? 
for  it  is  true  everywhere,  that  they  are  not  fishes 
when  they  are  barreled  up  in  the  groceries  for 
sale;  they  always  tell  us  that  they  have  a  fine 
article  of  fish.  Perhaps  the  removing  of  the 
phosphorus  by  taking  off  the  scales,  is  the  pro 
cess  of  rechristening ;  if  so,  catfish,  cod,  and  eels, 
are  not  fishes,  wherefore  the  plausibility  of  the 
old  woman's  declaring  that  the  latter  were  not 
fish  but  snakes. 

And  now,  since  I  have  trespassed  to  such  an 
9 


98  MANOLIA;  OR; 

extent  upon  the  patience  of  my  reader,  we  trust 
our  vocation  will  serve  as  an  apology  for  our  im 
perfections,  in  whatever  violations  we  may  have 
committed  in  orthography,  punctuation,  or  rheto 
ric.  It  is  not  with  the  huntsmen  as  with  one  of 
the  learned  professions  ;  we  have  no  time  for  lite 
rary  pursuits  or  embellishments  of  any  kind ;  our 
aim  is  to  throw  out  suggestions,  that  others  may 
upon  them  build  the  superstructure.  I  will  speedily 
close  this  chapter  on  salmagundy  fooleries,  and 
return  to  my  tale. 

I  have  but  adopted  the  teaching  of  the  schools 
on  Hygeian  pharmacy ;  their  administerings  vary 
to  suit  the  peculiar  idiosyncrasy  of  our  race; 
change  of  water  and  diet  to  some ;  change  of 
climate,  leisure,  or  recreation  for  others ;  and 
physick  in  common.  The  latter,  drugs  and  com 
pounds,  seemingly  is  the  practice  of  most  of  au 
thors;  with  Shakespeare's  acknowledged  ability, 
vulgarity  is  an  acknowledged  characteristic  of  his 
writings;  fooleries  and  irrelevant  matter,  the 
merest  drugs  and  compounds,  with  here  and  there, 
a  dash  of  genius  and  elegance,  have  established 
for  others  the  highest  renown.  Byron  has  buried 
a  few  fine  grains  in  a  heap  of  rubbish,  by  no  means 
enriching  the  world.  Swift  and  Sterne  have  done 
but  little  else — all  standard  authors.  I  grant  the 
Lefevre  story  of  the  latter  is  surpassingly  pa- 


THE   VALE   OF  TALLULAH.  99 

thetic  and  beautiful ;  and  I  hope,  whatever  follies 
and  sins  I  may  have  committed  in  my  digressions, 
I  will  meet  with  the  mercy  which  Lefevre's  oath 
did,  upon  its  being  reported  to  the  recording 
angel;  he  wrote  it  down,  "but  dropped  a  tear 
upon  the  record,  which  blotted  it  out  forever." 


100  MANOLIA;   OB, 


CHAPTER  XV. 

I  HAVE  never  found  anything  in  the  fascinating 
romances  of  fiction,  half  so  attractive  as  the  histo 
rical  portions  of  the  Old  Testament,  relating  to 
Jacob  and  his  twelve  sons;  Joseph  was  the  most 
promising,  it  appeared,  in  the  father's  estimation ; 
and,  when  the  old  man  was  deprived  of  this,  his  fa 
vorite  son,  he  was  moved  to  overflowing ;  after  a 
time,  as  his  grief  became  softened,  his  affections 
clustered  around  Benoni,  his  youngest,  who  also 
loved  Joseph,  without  the  slightest  taint  of  envy ; 
and  this  was  the  kind  of  disinterested  love  which 
Cassanio  bore  to  his  brother  Eossius,  his  father's 
first  hope,  and  he  measured  his  father's  love  by 
his  own,  which  enabled  him  to  estimate  properly 
the  grief,  which  the  sad  tidings  of  Rossius  would 
produce  upon  the  father ;  he  very  naturally  shrunk 
from  the  task  of  being  the  first  to  communicate 
the  heart-rending  intelligence.  It  was  enough  to 
bear  the  grief,  which  bore  like  an  incubus  upon  his 
own  bleeding  heart. 

He  therefore  gave  Julius  no  rest  until  the  pro 
mise  was  extracted  to  accompany  him  home. 

The  gala  week  of  commencement  was  dragged 
heavily  through  with,  by  both  Julius  and  Cassa 
nio,  bringing  no  tidings  of  the  lost  brother. 


THE   VALE  OF  TALLULAH.  101 

I 

They  arranged  their  matters,  and  left  for  the 
estate  of  Jerome  Neopold,  for  this  was  the  name 
of  Rossius'  father,  and  he  was  a  brother  of  Theo- 
philus  Neopold,  Manolia's  father. 

Julius'  brain  was  racked  the  whole  route,  in  de 
vising  schemes  to  divulge  Rossius'  miraculous  dis 
appearance.  He  concluded,  finally,  to  divert  the 
apprehensions  of  the  parents,  by  telling  the  strug 
gle  for  liberty  that  had  aroused  the  people  of  the 
old  world,  and  that  Rossius  had  become  so  in 
spired  with  the  love  of  liberty  and  humanity,  that 
he  had  joined  a  company  of  volunteers,  and  gone 
on  a  crusade,  across  the  waters,  where  probably 
he  would  win  golden  pinions,  of  which  his  friends 
would  be  proud,  and  give  him  a  position  at  once, 
that  years  of  toil  in  a  profession  would  not  achieve 
for  him. 

Cassanio  thought  this  would  be  a  very  plausible 
story,  as  his  brother  was  known  to  possess  an  in 
domitable  ambition,  provided  he  could  wear  a 
cheerful  aspect ;  and  this  he  thought  he  could  do, 
provided  Julius  would  consent  to  spend  the  whole 
of  the  vacation  with  him,  for  the  time  was  but 
short  before  Cassanio  had  to  return  to  college  to 
rise  junior. 

The  affability  of  Julius,  and  his  plausible  story, 
enabled  him  to  succeed  pretty  well  in  his  schemes  ; 
but  the  sister,  whom  we  shall  now  introduce,  by 
9* 


102  MANOLIA;   OE, 

the  name  of  lolia,  was  not  so  easily  appeased ; 
she  dearly  loved  her  brother,  and  ever  flattered 
herself,  that  his  feelings  were  identical  with  her 
own.  She  had  promised  herself  much  happiness 
after  her  brother's  graduation  and  return  home — 
she  had  chalked  out  a  course  of  studies  for  her 
self,  under  his  tuition,  and  selected  many  subjects 
upon  which  he  was  to  lecture ;  and  she  expressed 
her  astonishment,  that  his  love  for  her  could  have 
been  so  easily  smothered  by  the  heterogeneous 
cries  of  liberty  by  the  European  press;  who,  if 
triumphant  in  their  schemes,  in  trampling  the  ty 
rant  under  foot  one  day — the  much  blood  spilt 
would  scarcely  be  drank  up  by  their  thirsty  old 
fields,  before  they  again  would  be  hurried  into  a 
state  of  anarchy  and  confusion — "  and  their  last 
state  would  be  worse  than  the  first." 

"  These,"  said  lolia,  "  were  his  views — I  have 
heard  him  express  them ;  and  it  is  impossible  that 
he  could  have  been  so  suddenly  overwhelmed  with 
enthusiasm  for  suffering  humanity,  as  to  have  so 
far  forgotten  his  lolia,  I  am  at  a  loss  to  determine, 
and  not  even  sent  her  the  scratch  of  a  pen.  Ju 
lius,  if  thou  lovest  him,  as  Cassanio  says  thou 
didst,  you  can  make  excuses  for  a  sister's  weak 
ness."  She  weeps,  and  kisses  Cassanio,  and  seeks 
the  consolation  of  a  fond,  idolizing  mother — and 
such  a  mother  was  she,  as  Manolia  could  scarcely 
boast  of,  nor  the  world  beside — she  was  possessed 


THE   VALE   OF   TALLULAH.  103 

of  those  rare  endowments,  such  as  nature  rarely 
bequeaths  unto  the  same  individual — talents,  ten 
derness,  energy,  and  softness,  with  a  spirit  commen 
surate  with  the  highest  undertakings,  physically, 
or  morally — and  in  the  same  mould  was  the 
jewelled  lolia  cast,  but  enshrined  in  a  casket  of 
more  rare  beauty. 

No  one  of  Julius'  susceptibility,  accomplish 
ments,  and  taste,  could  resist  for  a  moment;  he 
now,  for  the  first  time,  was  enabled  to  appreciate 
the  impulses  which  had  so  moved  Eossius.  Julius 
had  read  many  of  the  romantic  teachings  of  beauty 
— the  soft,  melting  blue  eye,  the  luscious  black,  the 
ever- varying  gray;  but  as  yet,  he  had  no  concep 
tions  of  the  bluish  hazle,  surpassing  all  descrip 
tions  he  had  yet  read,  characterizing  intelligence 
and  affection,  harmoniously  blended  with  amia 
bility  and  modesty. 

When  Julius  first  consented  to  accompany  Cas- 
sanio  home,  and  spend  the  short  vacation  with 
him,  he  expected  to  have  dragged  through  with 
the  time  very  heavily ;  but  after  a  few  days  had 
passed,  he  found  such  attractions  in  lolia,  as  he 
had  never  met  with  before;  her  rare  beauty, 
grace,  and  personal  accomplishments,  he  had  not 
found  monopolized  by  one  individual  in  so  eminent 
a  degree. 

She  entertained  him  with  music,  and  excursions 
upon  the  river,  in  the  park  among  the  deer — the 


104:  MANOLIA;    OR, 

comforts  and  elegancies  of  the  stately  mansion, 
with  massy  colonades,  pilasters,  and  chaste  veran 
dahs,  affording  promenades  on  every  side ;  a  gar 
den,  and  shrubbery  too  of  rare  delights,  and  ex 
quisite  sweets,  with  a  saloon  of  vines  in  the  centre, 
so  matted  all  over  with  flowers  of  every  variety, 
affording  such  protection,  that  it  invited  every 
woodland  songster  from  a  distance ; — the  mocking 
bird  gave  forth  continually;  the  twitter  humnting 
bird  dispelled  dull  care,  whilst  it  sipped  the  nec 
tar  from  each  opening  flower ;  the  crimson  red-bird, 
with  its  shrill  notes,  and  occasionally  the  jay 
thrusted  his  jocund  head,  and  paid  his  nodding 
obeisance  in  the  most  uncouth  salutations,  contri 
buting  in  no  small  degree  in  adding  to  the  amuse 
ment  ;  he  ever  pushes  himself  forward  as  the 
general  critic,  yet  he  is  most  criticised — all  con 
tributing  to  enliven  the  scene.  Scarcely  an  even 
ing  past  that  lolia  did  not  join  this  merry  group. 
Julius  soon  found  out  the  hour  for  the  assembling 
of  the  happy  conclave.  He  had  dreamed  of  ely- 
sian  fields  beyond  the  waters  of  sorrow,  but  noth 
ing  so  bright  and  gilded  ever  appeared  to  him  be 
fore,  as  such  a  home  as  this  one  of  lolia's ;  and  now 
his  highest  ambition  was  to  become  a  constant 
participant  in  this  paradise  of  joy. 

Hope  is  ever  casting  about  for  some  floating 
plank  upon  which  to  cling ;  and  Julius'  exalted 
conceptions  of  lolia's  superhuman  endowments, 


THE   VALE  OF  TALLULAH.  105 

almost  placed  her  beyond  the  reach  of  his  most 
ambitious  aspirations ;  but  the  loss  of  Rossius  to 
the  family  now  became  the  pivot  upon  which  his 
wished-for  achievements  rested ;  there  was  a  va 
cuum  sensibly  felt  by  the  whole  family,  which  tar 
nished  every  household  enjoyment,  and  the  hope 
of  being  able  to  repair  this  breach,  was  the  only 
stimulus  upon  which  Julius'  hopes  clung. 

With  Cassanio  he  knew  the  task  was  not  a  dif 
ficult  one,  and  upon  him  he  plainly  discovered  the 
sister's  love  had  become  more  closely  knitted,  and 
before  he  left,  he  made  known  to  lolia,  "  that  his 
long  cherished  affections  for  Rossius,  had  so  en 
deared  Cassanio  unto  him,  as  well  as  yourself,  my 
dearest  lolia,  that  I  have  been  unable  to  resist 
Cassanio's  entreaties  to  spend  his  next  vacation 
with  him ;  to  substitute  in  part  the  place  of  his 
absent  brother." 

"  Thou  wouldst  receive  a  more  hearty  welcome, 
I  assure  you,  Julius,  if  thou  couldst  bring  back 
with  you  the  prodigal  son,  and  let  him  act  out  his 
own  part ;  you  might  then  still  play  your  own, 
with  the  additional  claim  on  our  gratitude,  thereby 
not  in  the  least  impairing  the  claims  you  have  on 
our  welcome.  We  are  never  so  much  interested 
in  a  substitute  as  the  original ;  you  would  find 
a  more  hospitable  welcome  among  us ;  for  thine 
esteem  for  Rossi  us,  and  his  for  thee,  would  but 
attract  and  incline  our  feelings  to  you  more  firmly; 


106  MANOLIA;  OR, 

thou,  therefore,  need'st  not  be  envious  of  Eossius' 
monopoly." 

"Such  assurances,"  replied  Julius,  "but  in 
crease  the  esteem  I  already  have  for  Eossius ;  and 
being  inclined  so  strongly  to  what  thou  teachest, 
I  shall  spend  my  life  in  seeking  out  thy  brother, 
and  rival  thee  in  my  esteem  for  him,  since  thou 
hast  taught  me  the  secret  of  gaining  thy  favor." 

"Thou  shouldst  not  have  told  me,"  said  lolia, 
"  that  thy  love  for  Eossius  is  otherwise  than  of  a 
disinterested  character." 

"  Thou  hast  fairly  caught  me,"  said  Julius,  "  in 
my  own  trap ;  but  here  comes  Cassanio,  let  us 
have  his  speculations — if  he  is  without  experience. 
Tell  us,  Cassanio !  to  what  extent  does  the  divisi 
bility  of  love  admit?  does  it  run  'ad  infinitum,' 
as  it  does  with  matter." 

"If  it  does,"  said  Cassanio,  "I  should  be  but 
poorly  content  with  but  one  of  the  infinitudes;  if 
I  ever  find  a  girl  to  love — I  shall  expect  no  ex 
periments  on  her  part  as  to  its  infinite  divisibility." 

"Am  I  to  infer,  then,"  replied  Julius,  "if  thy 
brother  is  ever  restored,  that  I  am  to  be  forever 
forgotten  ?" 

"  By  no  means ;  thy  sympathies  will  ever  be 
cherished,  a  rememberance  of  which  would  but 
raise  thee  in  our  esteem ;  and  I  know  I  would 
love  my  brother  more  than  ever;  it  would  be  like 


THE  VALE  OF  TALLULAH.  107 

damming  up  a  stream,  the  volume  and  force  in 
creased  thereby." 

Said  Julius :  "  Thou  dost  seemingly  affirm  one 
thing,  and  straightway  arguest  to  the  contrary." 

"But  I  would  have  you  understand,  that  our 
hearts  are  susceptible  of  two  emotions.  Julius, 
thou  art  not  the  novice  thou  pretendest  to  be,  our 
love  of  kindred  and  friends,  militateth  not  in  the 
heart  against  our  love  of  beauty  and  worth  in 
another  sex ;  in  fact,  the  degree  of  ardor  in  the 
one,  implies  a  corresponding  fervor  in  the  other ; 
like  our  intelligence,  the  studying  and  mastering 
one  language  or  science,  increases  the  facility  of 
our  acquiring  a  knowledge  of  another." 

"Thou  art  a  very  professor,"  replied  Julius, 
"  I'll  profit  by  thy  teachings ;  thou  speakest  too 
knowingly,  not  to  have  gone  through  the  fiery 
ordeal  of  experience ;  thy  sister,  probably  can  tell 
of  the  fair  one  under  whose  teachings  thou  hast 
become  so  ripe  a  scholar ;  thou  art  by  far  better 
entitled  to  a  diploma  than  I,  though  I  have  got 
two  years  the  run  of  you." 

"  Your  experience,"  retorted  Cassanio,  "  has 
taught  you  to  know  that  discretion  is  the  better 
part  of  valor,  and  thou  feignest  ignorance  to  evade 
suspicion." 

"  Since  then,"  said  lolia,  "  you  both  are  im 
pressed  so  fully  in  each  other's  prowess,  I  propose 
that  you  join  in  a  sort  of  holy  alliance  for  your 


108  MANOLIA;   OR, 

mutual  benefit ;  no  fortress,  I  am  sure,  could  long 
withstand  your  assaults." 

Says  Julius :  "  If  lolia  would  consent  to  be 
come  a  tripartite  in  the  treaty,  we  will  enter  forth 
with  into  bonds  of  mutual  obligation,  and  then  I 
am  persuaded,  the  combined  forces,  from  whatso 
ever  quarter,  would  prove  as  unavailing  as  an 
assault  upon  Gibraltar." 

Says  lolia :  "  I  don't  so  well  understand  these 
tripartite  obligations ;  they  don't  so  well  suit  the 
genius  of  our  republic — I  prefer  being  left  un- 
trammeled,  free  to  act  in  reference  to  emergencies 
and  inclination  as  may  be  consistent  with  my  own 
notions  of  what  I  may  consider  as  being  my  mani 
fest  destiny.  The  decision  of  two,  might  enforce 
upon  the  third,  the  necessity  of  reviving  the  ob 
solete  doctrine  of  nullification  in  self-defence." 

"  lolia,"  said  Cassanio,  "  thou  art  ever  so  given 
to  political  allusions,  that  all  of  thy  dissertations 
doth  end  in  state  matters.  I  expect  soon  to  hear 
of  your  lecturing  in  behalf  of  woman's  rights,  or 
political  economy." 

"  I  propose  she  does,"  added  Julius ;  "  and  that 
domestic  economy  be  added  to  the  subject,  and  I'll 
take  a  season  ticket ;  as  each  science  I  expect  soon 
to  give  my  attention  to." 

"  If  you  will  return  with  Eossius,"  replied  lolia, 
"  I'll  promise  to  accept  the  appointment,  and  pre 
pare  myself  to  accomplish  you  both  in  all  the 


THE    VALE   OF   TALLULAH.  109 

essentials  of  a  congressman,  such  as  manifest 
destiny,  the  internal  improvements  as  to  inland 
seas,  rotation  in  office,  constructive  renown  in  the 
public  councils  better  than  established,  so  also  are 
any  of  the  constructives.  But  as  to  the  woman's 
rights  association,  the  intellectual,  respectable 
portion  of  American  ladies  have  determined  that 
there  must  be  a  decided  improvement  in  the  polit 
ical  complexion  of  our  legislators,  before  they 
will  condescend  to  an  association  ;  in  fact,  we  are 
too  jealous  of  becoming  public  servrnts — we  are  too 
fond  of  reigning." 

Said  Julius:  "Thou  appearest  to  be  so  well 
posted,  lolia,  that  I  am  strongly  inclined  to  hold 
you  to  the  engagement,  and  in  the  event  of  a 
failure,  the  forfeit  to  be  assessed  by  the  opposite 
party.  From  lectures  I  have  ever  received  the 
greatest  advantage,  it  is  the  most  pleasing  way  of 
receiving  instruction,  and  I  have  found  it  more 
abiding  than  from  any  other  source.  And  when 
the  duties  are  performed  by  one  in  whom  we  are 
interested,  and  take  pleasure  in  listening  to,  then 
it  is  that  the  subject  becomes  doubly  interesting, 
and  every  sentiment  and  word  doubly  appreciated ; 
and  in  addition  to  the  information  we  gain,  we 
are  improved  in  elocution." 

"  Well,"  replied  Cassanio,  "I'll  only  take  a  half 
season  ticket,  so  as  only  to  remain  half  through 

each   performance;    I  much  prefer  taking  it  in 
10 


110  MANOLIA;   OR, 

broken  doses,  if  this  is  your  proof  sheet,  for  my 
patience  has  been  exhausted  this  half  hour.  The 
birds  have  all  been  sung  to  sleep.  Now  I  begin 
to  hear  those  everlasting  notes  of  the  whippoor- 
will ;  they  will  prove  your  staunch  customers,  if 
your  lectures  are  held  at  night ;  they  will  dance 
to  the  music  all  night,  as  the  Ohio  boatmen  to  the 
broad  day-light — let's  adjourn. 

The  last  interesting  scene  was  acted  upon  the 
mossy  ottoman,  covered  o'er  with  the  sweet  scented 
berbenas  under  the  garden  saloon,  so  canopied 
over  with  vines  of  every  variety,  which  grow  with 
such  luxuriance  in  our  southern  temperature ;  the 
variegated  and  white  honey-suckle,  the  different 
multa  floras — yellow  and  variegated,  the  cerulean- 
colored  ladies'  bower,  woodbine,  jessamines,  &c.,  &c., 
encircled  by  the  sensitive  mimosa,  now  also  in  full 
bloom — a  well  bred  tree  ever  so  mindful  of  any 
thing  like  rudeness  ;  like  the  sensitive  briar,  they 
retire  to  rest  at  an  early  hour,  enforcing  upon  us 
the  old  adage,  for  they  are  richly  covered  over 
with  blooms  and  filled  with  exhalations ;  and  at 
this  hour,  the  gray  of  the  evening,  the  atmosphere 
is  more  richly  impregnated  with  the  combined 
sweets,  than  a  Persian  saloon  with  their  fragrant 
extracts  of  the  East. 

This  conversation  in  the  garden  took  place  the 
evening  before  Julius  and  Cassanio  were  to  have 
left,  and  to  the  casual  observer,  happiness  and 


THE   VALE   OF  TALLULAH.  Ill 

contentment  reigned  in  their  midst,  but  the  cloud 
of  portentous  blackness  and  discontent  had  not 
yet  set,  and  its  angry  fury  was  now  to  rage  higher 
still.  It  became  a  great  struggle  for  the  parents 
and  sister  to  consent  that  the  latter  should  be 
separated  to  return  to  college,  as  much  as  they 
appreciated  a  liberal  education.  Says  the  father, 
upon  the  entrance  of  Cassanio  and  lolia  into  the 
room  where  the  parents  sat : 

"I  feel  the  affections  almost,  that  came  upon 
Jacob,  when  the  demand  was  made  on  him  to  let 
Benjamin  be  taken  to  Egypt.  Rossius  is  gone — • 
and  perhaps  Cassanio  will  be  taken.  I  know  not 
my  dearest,  what  to  say  as  to  your  brother's  leav 
ing  in  the  morning,"  was  the  father's  reply  to 
lolia's  tears,  as  she  approached  him.  "  Thou 
must  tell  him,"  continued  the  father,  "what  a 
desolation  would  come  over  his  lolia's  heart,  if 
anything  should  happen  unto  him;  and  that  he 
ought,  too,  not  to  be  unmindful  of  his  kind  loving 
parents,  if  perchance  anything  should  befall  him ; 
this  noble  boy,  Julius,"  continued  he,  "  has  pro 
mised  to  try  and  ascertain  something  more  definite 
concerning  thy  brother,  and  if  he  can  possibly  get 
on  his  track  he  will  pursue  him,  he  says,  unto  the 
end ;  and  he  assures  me,  if  ever  he  can  overtake 
him,  he  knows  his  influence,  with  an  appeal  of  the 
reminiscences  of  home,  and  his  loved  ones,  could 
not  fail  to  move  his  heart  and  bring  him  home." 


112  MANOLIA;  OB, 


CHAPTER  XYI. 

IN  the  preceding  chapter,  we  have  fallen  far 
short  in  our  pencillings,  of  giving  adequate  con 
ceptions  of  the  lights  and  shades,  the  sunshine  and 
darkness,  that  at  times  enlightened  and  enshrouded 
the  domestic  horizon  of  the  Neopold  mansion. 
Julius,  answering  to  the  dove  on  her  mission,  sent 
forth  in  search  of  the  olive  branch  of  peace,  and 


"  Great  God  !"  exclaimed  Julius  to  Cassanio,  as 
they  journeyed  on  their  way  back  to  college, 
"  upon  what  a  slender  thread  hangs  everlasting 
things  —  upon  smaller  issues  have  the  destinies  of 
man  been  suspended  !  My  all  is  dependent,  as  it 
were,  upon  the  cast  of  the  die  ;  and  thou  knowest, 
Cassanio,  what  suggested  to  me  the  plot  of  recon 
ciliation  my  imagination  devised  to  appease  the 
emotions  of  your  anxious  parents  and  loving  sis 
ter.  Rossius  had  so  often  felt  and  expressed  to 
me  the  inspirations  which  Kossuth's  eloquence 
had  excited  in  his  bosom  for  suffering  humanity. 
Eternal  hope!  inspiring  thought!"  said  Julius, 
"  this  it  was  that  led  me  to  substitute  this  highly 
problematic  story  in  lieu  of  my  fearful  apprehen 
sions  ;  for  I  do  most  dread  the  issue  ;  public  sen- 


THE   VALE   OF  TALLULAH.  J.13 

timent  is  too  often  in  the  right :  and  that  has  long 

since  sealed  thy  brother's  fate." 

"  But  I  know  him  so  well ;  Caesar  might  have 
oorrowed  from  him  ambition's  calling.  He  pre 
ferred  the  doom  of  Helena's  exile  to  the  humi 
liating  execrations  of  a  contemptuous  world.  He 
dreaded  less  sacrificing  himself  in  Tallulah's  yawn 
ing  chasm,  than  to  meet  the  taunts  of  a  heartless 
world ;  and  I  think  it  possible  that,  if  his  search 
for  his  '  belle  of  beauty'  proved  unavailing,  and  it 
turned  out  an  '  ignis  fatuis' — these  were  his  appre 
hensions  ;  and  he  has  turned  his  face  towards  a 
foreign  land." 

"  So  soon  as  we  reach  the  telegraph  line  I  will 
send  a  messenger.  It  may  meet  his  eye,  and 
arrest  his  movements.  I  will  then  make  for  the 
mountains;  perhaps  some  hunter  can  give  an 
account  of  him,  that  will  put  me  on  his  trail." 

"  Julius,  I  must  go  with  you,"  interrupted 
Cassanio. 

"  It  is  altogether  needless,  for  you  will  be  of  no 
service,  and  might  but  serve  to  retard  my  pro 
gress,  in  losing  time  in  waiting  for  you,  if  I  should 
hear  something,  and  you  in  search  in  another 
direction. 

After  reaching  college,  Julius  remained  only 
long  enough  to  equip  himself,  and  send  off  his 
winged  messenger. 

10* 


114  MANOLIA;    OK, 

When  Julius  reached  the  Tallulah's  wilds,  he 
determined  to  put  up  his  horse  at  a  neighboring 
huntsman's  cabin;  and  if  he  could  gather  no 
intelligence,  to  take  his  knapsack  and  scour  the 
heights  and  depths,  over  which  it  was  impossible 
to  ride.  Possibly  he  would  meet  with  some  hunts 
man  or  fisherman,  on  the  river,  who  could  give 
some  account  of  Rossius. 

When  reaching  a  secluded  cabin,  which  he 
entered  and  made  known  his  mission,  Old  Gray- 
beard  manifested  the  slightest  concernment,  and 
replied :  "  I  have  heard  tell  of  no  such  youth. 
Them  ravens  you  hear  screaming  over  yon  chasm 
can  give  you  some  account  of  him,  likely,  if  they 
would ;  for  none  of  you  lowlanders  can  feel  your 
way  long  down  Terrora's  dangers,  and  come  off 
with  whole  bones,  I  can  tell  you,  my  lad;  and 
unless  you  think  the  loss  of  two  of  you  is  better 
than  the  life  of  one,  I  advise  you  to  go  back 
home.  If  you  would  know  his  bones,  I  venture  I 
can  show  'em  to  you  in  Wild  Cat's  Den,  alongside 
Bull  Sluice  Mountain,  down  Tugalo  a  piece ;  for 
all  the  carcasses  lodge  down  thar,  gin  the  giant's 
arm  chair.  The  ravens  find  them  first ;  and  after 
they  have  eaten  of  'em,  at  night  the  wild  cats 
scent  them  up,  and  drag  them  out  to  their  den, 
for  their  young  ones." 

"  Do  show  some  sort  of  humanity,"  replied 
Julius.  "  You  hunters  become  so  fond  of  blood, 


THE   VALE   OF   TALLULAH.  115 

and  butchery,  that  it  matters  not,  I  believe,  what 
sort." 

"  Well  it  don't  much,"  replied  Graybeard, 
"  when  we  have  worried  over  these  mountains  all 
day,  and  found  no  buck — to  see  what  a  hole  our 
bullets  can  cut." 

If  Julius'  physical  courage  had  been  less 
than  one  of  Georgia's  best  bloods,  he  would  pro 
bably  have  shrank  from  wandering  alone  in  the 
midst  of  these  wilds,  where  bullets  so  often  grew 
thirsty  for  blood,  and  no  ways  choice  as  to  its 
character.  He  had  heard,  too,  that  some  relics 
of  the  aborigines,  who  were  too  well  known  to  be 
exasperated  against  the  whites  for  the  treatment 
they  had  received,  were  occasionally  seen  climbing 
the  steeps  with  their  rifles  upon  their  shoulders. 

But  Julius  would  have  incurred  the  most  ha 
zardous  undertaking,  with  the  most  remote  pro 
bability  of  achieving  something ;  that  in  the  event 
of  success  lolia's  smiles  would  have  been  his 
reward ;  and  this  now  became  the  mainspring  of 
action  with  Julius. 

He  set  out  on  foot  alone  towards  the  falls. 
When  he  had  got  a  short  distance  from  the  cabin 
the  old  hunter  cried  out : 

"  Look  here,  young  stranger,  if  you  don't  get 
back  in  a  week  I'll  claim  your  horse,  saddle  and 
bridle ;  and  I  tell  you  of  a  certain,  so  soon  as  you 


116  MAXOLIA;    OK, 

get  out  of  sight  I'll  begin  to  claim  'em,  and  feel 
that  they  are  mine." 

Upon  reaching  the  falls,  he  first  cast  his  eyes 
across  the  abyss  of  the  enchanted  rock,  upon 
which  the  fairy  was  first  seen.  The  appalling 
majesty  of  the  scene  was  greatly  magnified,  thought 
Julius;  his  loneliness,  and  a  swell  of  the  river 
from  rains,  had  greatly  increased  its  deafening 
thunderings.  He  determined  to  cross  over,  then 
down. 

After  ascending  the  banks  of  the  river  for 
miles — following  the  footsteps  of  Eossius  as  he 
supposed — he  finally  succeeded  in  crossing  the 
stream,  and  eventually  reached  the  opposite  heights 
without  making  any  discovery.  He  passed  on 
farther  down  the  river,  the  precipice  being  too 
great  to  allow  of  his  descending  to  the  water. 
Finally,  he  came  to  a  meeting  of  the  waters, 
which  his  knowledge  of  geography  told  him  was 
the  junction  of  the  Tallulah  with  the  Chattooga, 
forming  the  Tugalo.  He  had  been  descending 
for  a  half  mile  a  gentle  slope  down  to  the  water's 
edge.  He  seated  himself  on  Tallulah's  bank, 
fatigued,  and  at  fault,  looking  up  and  down,  and 
across  upon  Eockcliff  's  heights.  While  thus  me 
ditating  upon  what  should  be  his  future  plans, 
immediately  opposite  to  where  he  sat,  he  disco 
vered  a  human  figure,  with  rifle  in  hand,  approach 
ing  the  water's  edge  in  a  most  stealthy  manner, 


THE  VALE  OF  TALLULAH.  117 

as  if  wishing  to  avoid  being  seen.  His  appear 
ance,  movements,  and  complexion,  indicated  the 
Indian,  Julius  thought;  however,  he  determined 
to  let  no  opportunity  escape  him.  So  he  cried 
out — wishing  to  know  how  to  cross  over.  The 
mountaineer  immediately  put  into  the  river,  and 
forded  over  to  where  Julius  was;  but  before 
reaching  the  shore  he  discovered  him  to  be  an 
Indian  of  most  athletic  and  bold  appearance.  As 
the  Indian  planted  the  first  foot  upon  the  bank, 
he  raised  his  head,  and  addressed  Julius  thus : 

"  Young  man,  I  was  seated  across  on  yon  rock 
when  I  saw  you  descending  this  long  slope ;  at 
first  I  took  you  for  a  wild  lad,  who  some  time 
since  took  a  liking  for  those  stubborn  rocks  above, 
on  this  river ;  or  something  or  other  he  saw  about 
them ;  and  I  can  tell  you,  my  lad,  this  is  not  the 
first  time  old  Sugar-lip  has  cried  to  me  for  his 
blood :  and  you  see  here  (pointing  the  muzzle  of 
his  rifle  for  Julius  to  look  in)  it  takes  no  little  to 
satisfy  her  cravings." 

Says  Julius :  "I  am  not  the  youth  you  refer  to, 
but  am  his  friend,  and  in  search  of  him ;  and  if 
thou  canst  give  me  any  report  of  him  I  am  glad 
to  meet  thee,  if  your  old  rifle  is  athirst  for  blood. 
I  can  tell  thy  rifle,  and  thee,  to  boot,  that  my 
blood  is  of  too  friendly  and  cold  a  character  to 
appease  the  thirst  of  the  blood-thirsty.  Such  de 
light  to  drink  the  boiling  blood  from  an  enemy's 


118  MANOLIA;   OB, 

heart:  thy  powder  and  ball  would  be  thrown 
away  on  me." 

"  I  confess,"  replied  the  Indian,  "  on  near  ap 
proach,  I  discovered  you  were  not  the  right  sort 
of  game ;  and  see  now,  thou  art  not  the  lad  who 
called  himself  Rossius." 

"  Oh  I  venerable  old  chief,"  interrupted  Julius, 
"  tell  me  something  of  that  boy ;  for  he  is  the  dear 
friend  I  am  now  in  search  of.  Did  any  evil  befall 
him  ?  Tell  me  all — and  place  me  under  the  most 
lasting  obligations." 

"  If,"  said  the  Indian,  "  I  had  sooner  seen  this 
friend  of  yours,  and  knew  beforehand  what  trou 
ble  he  would  occasion  to  my  blessed  child,  this 
old  friend  of  mine  (patting  his  rifle)  would  have 
known  no  other  game;  but  as  I  found  out  the 
thing  too  late — for  the  mischief  was  all  done — I 
went  over  on  the  cliffs  where  the  youth  ranged, 
and  held  a  talk  with  him,  and  got  him  off." 

"  Then  nothing  has  happened  to  him  ?"  asked 
Julius. 

"  Nothing,  so  far  as  I  know,"  replied  the  savage, 
"  excepting  he  appeared  to  be  very  sorrowful,  and 
sick  at  heart,  and  inquired  of  me  the  route  to  what 
he  called  the  Queen  of  the  West.  I  at  first  thought 
him  beside  himself,  and  wanted  to  find  out  some 
Indian  queen  of  our  western  tribes;  for  I  know 
thy  hungry  race  had  driven  off  all  of  the  rightful 
owners  of  these  Atlantic  states,  across  many  wa- 


THE   VALE   OF   TALLULAH.  119 

ters,  away  beyond  the  far  west,  where  yon  sun  of 
light  forever  sets.  I  refused  to  go  with  my  tribe, 
because  I  preferred  the  early  morn  of  his  first 
rising.  But  I  will  tell  you  what  he  meant  by  this 
queen  which  he  spoke  of — it  was  a  great  city  on 
the  Ohio  river,  which  he  so  called,  because  of  her 
beauty  and  shining  magnificence,  so  far  excelling 
the  other  towns  of  the  west.  He  told  me  that  he 
expected  to  meet  a  great  orator  there,  who  came 
from  away  beyond  the  great  waters,  into  which  all 
of  our  rivers  flow.  I  told  him  the  best  I  knew 
what  route  to  take : — To  first  make  for  the  country, 
our  people  in  olden  times  called  the  land  of  blood, 
known  to  you  as  Kentucky.  This  fine  country  was 
once  the  paradise  of  hunters,  and  so  called  from 
the  much  blood  that  was  spilt  upon  its  soil,  both 
of  men  and  beasts — the  different  "tribes  of  Indians 
had  many  a  hard-fought,  bloody  battle,  in  trying 
to  maintain  supremacy  over  this  favored  land.  To 
this  day,  I  am  told,  the  rains  from  heaven  have 
never  been  able  to  wash  out  the  stains  of  blood 
from  its  soil,  the  earth  is  yet  said  to  be  crimsoned 
o'er." 

Inquired  Julius  :  "  Where  did  you  last  see  him, 
and  what  direction  did  he  take?" 

"  The  last  time  I  saw  him,  we  parted  above  this, 
on  Terrora's  Heights :  he  went  up  stream,  and  I 
followed  down  to  this  point,  and  crossed  over  to 
where  you  saw  me  put  into  this  stream.  I  have 


120  MAXOLIA;    OR, 

heard  nothing  of  him  from  that  day  to  this.  If 
thou  canst  find  him,  it's  more  than  I  expect,  for 
he  put  off  at  a  desperate  pace.  Farewell,  my  lad." 

"But,"  says  Julius,  "stay  yet  longer,  old  chief, 
and  answer  me  a  few  more  questions."  Oothla- 
coochy  was  fairly  into  the  stream,  crossing  to  the 
bank  he  had  come  from ;  but  replied — 

"  I  have  no  time  for  any  more  chat ;  1  have  told 
you  all  thou  canst  get  from  me,  and  what  I  have 
told  you  is  the  truth." 

Julius  paused :  "  Glorious  thought !  what  a  happy 
coincidence ;  thus  far  my  conjectures  are  substan 
tiated  ;  I  will  follow  them  out  to  the  letter,  perish 
all  in  the  attempt."  So  saying,  he  rose  and  cast 
up  his  eyes  to  see  where  the  sun  was,  and  dis 
covered  he  had  sunk  behind  the  mountain  on  the 
opposite  side  of»the  river.  "I  shall  be  overtaken 
by  darkness  before  I  can  reach  the  point  where  I 
crossed.  These  wild  solitudes  appear  to  me  as  if 
they  were  frequented  by  other  rude  customers, 
than  hunters  and  Indians  ;  I  have  heard  of  other 
thirstings  after  human  blood,  than  old  rifle-bar 
rels — let  there  come  weal  or  woe,  Julius !  let  us 
act  out  the  man  throughout  this  drama." 


THE    YALE   OF   TALLULAH.  121 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

SINCE  the  "fast"  portion  of  our  community  are 
so  on  the  increase,  as  to  begin  to  count  noses ;  for 
it  has  not  been  ten  years  since  none  were  reck 
oned  under  the  head  but  boys  who  had  drawn  on 
boots  too  soon,  and  misses  in  their  teens,  who 
took  hold  of  novels  to  find  out  how  they  ended ; 
but  in  our  day,  their  numbers  have  so  increased, 
that  a  due  respect  for  minorities  should  prompt 
some  of  us  to  write,  or  have  published  a  book, 
upside  down,  for  their  special  benefit — politicians 
will  not  long  be  unmindful  of  their  claims  to 
catch  -their  votes.  If  I  were  so  inclined,  I  believe 
I  would  close  just  here,  by  way  of  doing  the  thing 
up  half-way  "  brown,"  just  to  a  "  turn,"  to  save 
them  the  trouble  of  looking  for  a  conclusion ; 
however,  we  will  proceed  further  with  our  tale, 
but  abbreviate  as  much  as  possible,  and  not  write 
as  romance  writers  do  generally,  merely  to  "  fill 
up,"  as  the  farmer  said,  (being  short,)  when  he 
pounded  up  the  cobs  to  throw  in  the  manger,  to 
mix  with  his  horses'  feed. 

The  reader  will  perceive  we  have  left  three  of 
our  interesting  characters  within  hearing  of  the 
crack  of  old  Oothlacoochy's  rifle.  Rossius  was 
11 


122  MANOLIA;   OR, 

left  upon  the  cliff,  Manolia  descending  to  the  hid 
den  valley,  and  Julius  not  far  off. 

When  Manolia  perceived  Oothlacoochy  eying 
her  and  Eossius,  she  immediately  descended  the 
rope  ladder,  and  Eossius  lost  sight  of  her.  He 
wandered  for  many  days  among  the  rocks  up  and 
down  the  river,  but  never  could  hear  a  word 
concerning  the  object  of  his  solicitude — her  in 
whom  all  his  hopes  and  prospects  of  happiness 
were  concentrated ;  he  met  with  no  one  but  the 
old  Indian,  whose  attention  could  be  even  arrested 
concerning  the  maid  of  the  rocks. 

Old  Oothlacoochy  had,  as  he  intimated  to  Julius, 
met  Eossius  in  his  solitary  wandering,  and  to  all 
of  his  interrogatories  concerning  the  beauty  girl, 
the  Indian  assumed  an  air  of  indifference,  as  well 
as  ignorance ; — he  told  Eossius,  if  he  wanted  to 
find  his  girl,  he  had  better  set  out  for  the  low 
country,  and  make  his  search  among  the  alligators, 
frogs,  and  terrapins ;  for  he  understood  that  upon 
such  diet  the  lowlanders  lived,  and  she  was  to-day 
probably  in  those  swamps  with  her  lasso,  to  pro 
vide  for  a  hasty  plate;  "for,"  said  he,  "they  are 
in  the  habit  of  coming  up  among  us  and  pitching 
their  tents  around  these  falls,  or  below  in  some 
cool  valley,  and  spending  the  hot  season.  She, 
of  whom  you  inquire,  I  tell  you,  young  man, 
came  from  below — and  now  this  is  past  the  season 
for  them  to  return  •  take  my  advice,  young  man, 


THE   VALE  OF  TALLULAH.  123 

and  don't  be  wasting  your  time  to  no  purpose." — 
And  then  the  conversation  took  place  which,  in 
the  preceding  chapter  the  Indian  related  to  Julius. 

When  Rossius  became  quite  persuaded  by  the 
old  Indian,  that  all  was  lost  to  him,  he  became 
overwhelmed  with  feelings  bordering  on  despera 
tion — like  the  drunken  debauchee,  from  the  high 
state  of  excitement,  ready  to  plunge  into  deeper, 
darker  shades  of  excess  and  wretchedness,  with 
the  delusive  hope  of  smothering  the  agonizing 
conflicts  of  which  his  soul  is  possessed. 

Ah !  Rossius,  thou  art  rushing  to  where  thou 
knowest  not,  and  carest  less,  with  the  desperation 
of  him  who  rushes  into  danger  with  closed  eyes. 

Here  now  we  have  exposed  the  rock,  upon 
which  oft  have  been  wrecked  the  parents'  fondest 
hope,  a  sister's  pride  of  existence,  a  student 
brother's  whispering  monitor,  and  upon  the  issue 
of  this  great  storm  of  life  depends  his  destiny. 

It  is  not  love,  or  its  results,  that  always  bring 
on  this  convulsion,  (as  is  familiarly  termed  the 
sowing  of  one's  wild  oats,)  indulgence  in  dissipa 
tion,  losses,  &c.,  with  different  individuals,  lead  to 
the  verge  of  this  maelstrom,  from  which  so  few 
make  their  escape. 

But  if  once  the  teachings  of  philosophy  and 
reason  can  get  the  ascendant  before  habit  can  seal 
his  fate,  the  youth  may  pass  through  the  fiery  or 
deal  unscathed. 


124:  MANOLIA;   OR, 

— Eossius  continued  heedless  of  where  he  was 
going,  until  he  found  himself  at  the  fountain  head 
of  Tallulah's  waters — a  draught  of  the  pure,  cold, 
gushing  fount,  sobered  his  thoughts ;  and  after 
meditating  upon  the  striking  identity  of  the 
rugged,  torn-up,  shapeless,  helterskelter  confu 
sion  of  nature's  doings  among  which  he  had  been 
wandering,  in  comparison  with  his  own  distracted 
soul — he  suddenly  rose  from  the  contemplation, 
and  indulged  in  the  following  parody : 

"  I  am  yet  half  sick — ye  mountains !  tossed  and 
twisted  about  by  a  fortnight's  gale,  on  love's  rest 
less  waves;  my  giddy  brains  are  still  turned 
round,  as  in  a  whirlpool,  and  this  gigantic  coun 
try  seems  yet  to  tremble  beneath  my  wavering 
steps.  Alas  !  there  is  no  ray  of  hope  left  for  me. 
O  1  Kossuth,  as  thou  expressed  for  thy  own  bleed 
ing,  beloved  native  land,  I  know  not  else  what  to 
do,  but  to  intercept  thee,  on  thy  march  through 
the  west.  I  shall  meet  thee  on  the  beautiful  Ohio, 
and  perhaps  thy  inspiring  eloquence,  and  undying 
hope,  will  be  able  to  lift  my  sinking  soul  yet, 
above  this  Moscow  storm,  under  which  I  have 
been  so  oppressed  for  so  many  days,  by  its  in 
gulfing  threatenings."  After  thus  soliloquizing  ho 
departed. 


THE   VALE   OF   TALLULAH.  125 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

MANY  months  have  elapsed,  and — poor  child 
of  nature — the  world  has  been  unmindful  of  the 
suffering,  bleeding  heart  of  our  beloved  Manolia. 

She  had  no  one  to  whom  she  could  go  to,  and 
confide  in,  and  reveal  the  cause  of  her  afflictions. 
The  dread  of  wounding  her  parents'  feelings,  and 
her  timid  modesty,  forbade  that  she  should  ever 
appeal  to  their  sympathies,  and  no  relief  could  be 
obtained  from  any  quarter.  She  was  truly  an 
emblem  of  what  we  do  read  of  "  Patience  sitting 
upon  a  monument  smiling  at  Grief;  for  she  felt 
as  if  surrounded  by  desolation,  with  no  kindred 
spirit  to  whom  she  could  go  and  confide  in,  and 
tell  her  tale  of  sorrow.  She  lingered  among  the 
flowers  and  rippling  streams,  which  gushed  forth 
from  the  mountains  which  surrounded  the  val 
ley — almost  secluding  herself  from  her  parents' 
caresses,  as  she  was  wont  to  do — reading,  such  as 
she  now  preferred  from  choice,  were  selected  from 
the  shelves  of  romance,  and  love's  thrilling  sensi 
bilities;  which  but  served  to  stamp  deeper  and 
deeper  the  "  sear  and  yellow  leaf"  upon  her  bleed 
ing  heart  and  damask  cheek.  "  0  !  world  of  woe 
and  discontent,  thou  art  unmindful  of  Manolia's 


126  MANOLIA;   OE, 

happiness ;  and  with  each  returning  day,  with  all 
thy  gorgeous  splendors,  thou  oppressest  her  with 
a  gloom  more  cheerless  still.  My  former  delights 
have  all  forsaken  me ;  and  my  excursions,  which 
ever  so  elated  me — a  return  from  which  but 
increased  my  delight,  of  the  gladsome  welcome 
and  caresses  of  my  dear  parents ;  they  now,  too, 
doth  converse  to  themselves,  denying  to  their 
daughter  the  nestlings  she  ever  received  un 
sought.  But  yonder  comes  the  old  Indian.  I  will 
approach  and  reveal  to  him  my  secret.  Perhaps 
he  possesses  an  amulet  that  will  perchance  dispel 
all  this  gloom  which  doth  so  oppress  me."  With 
inspired  hope  and  assumed  cheerfulness  she  ap 
proached  Oothlacoochy  and  thus  addressed  him  : 
"  Why  is  it,  Oothlacoochy,  thou  dost  conti 
nually  refuse  to  take  me  up  upon  the  rocks  where 
I  so  loved  to  roam.  I  have  often  asked  thee,  but 
thou  hast  ceased  to  love  thy  Manolia.  Thou  used 
to  call  me  thy  daughter;  but  now  I  am  no  o.ther 
than  my  father's  and  mother's.  I  have  been  cast 
off  by  thee,  and  I  know  not  the  cause ;  let  me 
again  become  thy  child,  and  confide  in  me  as 
thou  wast  wont  to  do  in  days  past.  Do  tell  me, 
and  I  will  relate  to  you  all  that  he  said  to  me ; 
and  tell  you  besides  of  the  discontent  he  has  occa 
sioned  to  thy  daughter.  This  appeal  had  the  de 
sired  effect ;  and  the  old  chief  became  moved,  and 
replied :  "  Manolia,  my  child,  thy  foster  father 


THE   VALE   OF  TALLULAH.  127 

knows  love  for  none  other  on  earth  excepting  for 
his  Manolia;  and  to-day,  to  mend  her  broken, 
blighted  happiness — which  for  so  long  a  time  has 
appeared  to  Oothlacoochy  like  the  withering  flow 
ers  after  being  touched  by  ungracious  winter — 
I  would  mount  yonder  thunder  mountain,  and 
srnile,  in  baring  my  bosom  to  receive  all  the  thun 
derbolts  and  fiery  forked  shafts  that  have  been 
playing  upon  its  summit  since  the  world  began ; 
but  if  thou  wilt  listen  I  will  tell  thee  all.  When 
I  told  thy  parents  of  what  thou  alludest  to,  they 
cautioned  me  never  again  to  take  thee  up  those 
dangerous  heights,  for  two  reasons,  thy  safety  in 
both  considered.  The  youth  I  sought,  and  found ; 
and  told  him  you  again  he  would  not  see,  for  that 
you  came  from  below;  and  that  he  must  there 
search,  if  he  would  find  thee.  He  finally  left, 
with  much  suffering,  to  know  where  he  could  meet 
thee." 

"  Oh !  could  I  once  more  see  him,"  said  Mano 
lia.  "  He  told  me  where  he  lived.  He  lives  below, 
on  the  shores  of  this  our  lovely  stream ;  but 
where  its  size  is  much  increased  and  beareth  a 
different  name.  I  always  loved  thee,  thou  ever 
shining,  melodious  stream !  But  since  that  Ros- 
sius  has  lived  to  bathe  in  thy  embraces,  I  scarcely 
know  whether  to  love  thee  more,  or  be  jealous  of 
thy  advantages — though  he  proffered  rne  thy  pri 
vilege,  and  1  knew  not  how  to  accept. 


128  MANOLIA;  OR, 

"He  described  to  me  his  home.  It  doth  far 
exceed  all  that  thou  ever  dreamest.  He  told  me, 
too,  of  his  sister — the  image  of  thy  Manolia,  but  I 
think  much  fairer — for  I  doth  love  her  e'en  more 
than  my  own  dear  self.  If  thou,  Oothlacoochy, 
wouldst  go  with  me,  thy  love  for  her  would  com 
pensate  thee.  If  thou  lovest  thy  Manolia,  as  thou 
sayest,  thou  would  know  no  difference  between 
us.  And  he  also  described  a  large,  beautiful 
Indian  mound  on  the  river's  edge,  which  marks 
his  home — where  thy  ancestors  lived,  and  where 
their  spirits  still  dwell.  Say,  old  chief,  let's  visit 
thy  kindred  home ;  do  permit  us  to  be  borne  in 
this  little  boat  on  the  bosom  of  these  lovely  waters 
to  where  he  lives."  She  sighs,  and  continued : 
"  My  parents  thou  knowest  I  do  love  above  all 
the  world  besides ;  but  they  will  never  consent  to 
our  going.  They  will  be  held  in  suspense  but  for 
a  few  days — thou  canst  so  soon  return  on  foot, 
after  thou  hast  landed  me  with  that  other  self  of 
mine — her  name,  too,  is  so  like  mine — lolia — I 
know  with  her  I  would  be  -safe  and  happy.  On 
your  return  you  could  give  assurances  to  my 
parents  of  my  safety  and  speedy  return." 

To  which  the  Indian  replied :  "  I  feel  almost 
persuaded  by  thy  eloquence ;  and  the  love*  I  have 
for  thee,  Manolia,  doth  operate  still  farther.  We 
must  not  delay ;  for  thy  loving  parents  doth  ap 
prehend  all  things  concerning  thee  from  the  in- 


THE   VALE   OF  TALLULAH.  129 

tent  of  their  love.  "  Coming  events  cast  their 
shadows  before  them."  Hold  yourself  in  readi 
ness  by  the  next  full  of  the  moon,  that  we  may 
be  advantaged  by  her  light  on  our  voyage.  I  will 
have  all  necessaries  in  readiness,  as  if  going  on  a 
hunting  excursion.  You  adjust  your  clothing 
sufficient,  and  such  as  will  screen  you  from  the 
damps  of  night ;  for  thou  must  sleep  in  the  boat 
while  I  paddle  you  safely  through  the  shoals  all 
night;  and  when  thou  art  first  missed  by  thy 
parents  we  will  have  gained  one-fourth  of  our 
journey." 

"  You  have  but  just  time,"  continued  the  Indian, 
"  to  observe  what  is  our  custom  upon  the  approach 
of  great  advents ;  which  is  to  wear  the  amulet.* 
I  will  provide  you  with  a  square  piece  of  birch 
bark,  which  possesses  more  talismanic  virtue  than 
your  paper  upon  which  you  write.  It  is  of  the 
outer,  scaly  portions  of  the  same  bark  we  make 
our  light  canoes  of,  which  has  saved  many  a  brave, 
it  being  so  light  it  can  run  in  any  depth  of  water ; 
moreover,  one  man  can  shoulder  the  canoe  and 
launch  it  again  where  suits  his  convenience.  The 
portion  of  bark  I  will  give  you  is  thinner  than 
the  paper  you  use — softer,  and  of  a  flesh  color. 

*  The  writer  would  here  remark  that  this  was  also  the  Per 
sian  custom. — See  Encyclopedia  Americana  (abracadabra). 


130  MANOLIA;   OR, 

Less  observable  upon  it  do  you  write  the  magic 
triangle  thus : 

Abracadabra 

Abracadabr 

Abracadab 

Abracada 

A  b  r  a  c  a  d 

A  b  r  a  c  a 

A  b  r  a  c 

A  b  r  a 

Abr 

Ab 

A 

"  Fold  it  up  so  as  to  hide  the  inscription,  and 
suspend  it  about  your  neck;  the  amulet  to  be 
worn  at  the  heart,  stitched  and  suspended  with  a 
scarlet  thread.  The  ninth  morning  before  sun 
rise — which  must  be  the  morning  before  we  set 
out — you  must  approach  the  water's  edge  of  some 
stream  running  to  the  east — our  Terrora  is  just 
such  a  one — and  turn  your  back  to  the  stream — 
being  observed  by  no  one — and  throw  the  amulet 
into  the  river.  This  will  insure  success  in  our 
expedition." 

"  Honor  bright  I"  replied  Manolia.  "  And  I 
will  leave  a  note  on  my  table,  telling  my  parents 
that  I  was  anxious  to  see  beyond  this  vale,  and 
away  over  the  mountains,  and  concluded  to  take 
a  hunting  excursion  with  you." 


THE   VALE   OF   TALLULAH.  131 


CHAPTEE  XIX. 

IN  the  solitude  of  moonlight,  drifting  upon  the 
white,  foaming  waters  of  the  ocean-bound  Tugalo, 
ah  1  thou  jewelled  treasure,  thou  yet  may  prove 
the  charmer  of  a  world's  admiration,  and  the 
solace  of  life  to  some  of  thy  race.  Manolia's  heart 
became  too  full,  and  thus  she  spake : 

"  Farewell  I  farewell,  my  venerated  parents ! 
again,  farewell !  A  long  adieu,  hallowed  spot  of 
earth,  my  sacred  vale,  adieu,  adieu — perhaps,  for 
ever  !  Adieu,  ye  woods,  ye  cliffs  and  chasms ! 
Yon  browsing  fawn,  to  thee,  too,  adieu  !  Thou  art 
so  beautiful  and  innocent,  that  I  know  not  how 
the  huntsman  can  so  butcher  thy  kindred !  Ye 
waters,  too,  but,  ah !  we  go  together !  Yet  I  feel 
myself  a  poor  exile,  though  thou  art  with  me. 
Are  there  none — not  one — to  weep  a  tear,  but 
thee,  for  poor  Mariolia  ?  But  perhaps  her  morn 
of  joy  yet  lingers,  where  thy  dancing  waves  will 
carry  her  and  her  playful  barque!  Upon  thy 
merry  waves  I  have  taken  so  many  excursions 
with  my  unrequited  father !  Him  we  have  left 
behind,  and  my  weeping  mother! — we,  on  a  pil 
grimage  ;  thou,  to  the  blue  ocean  wave ;  and  7J 
alas !  I  know  not  where  !  If  I  am  sad,  thou  doth 
unto  me  smile,  and  smile,  as  though  filled  with 


132  MANOLIA;    OK, 

love  and  joy !  Ye  lovely  waters,  I  see  that  thou 
art  not  unmindful  of  my  loneliness — for  thou 
dost  all  that  thou  canst !  My  own  dear  self  I  see 
reflected — Manolia,  I  do  see  deep  down  alongside 
yon  silvery  moon — why  can't  she  speak?" 
(Manolia  sings.) 

"  Flow  on,  flow  on,  thou  silvery  stream  ; 

Flow  on,  flow  on,  thou  shining  stream  ; 

Flow  on,  flow  on,  thou  roaring  stream ; 

Flow  on,  flow  on,  to  the  ocean  wave. 
Swell  the  waves,  swell  the  waves,  thou  silvery  stream ; 
Swell  the  waves,  swell  the  waves,  thou  shining  stream; 
Swell  the  waves,  swell  the  waves,  thou  roaring  stream  ; 
Swell  the  waves,  swell  the  waves." 

The  scene,  circumstances,  and  loneliness  of  night 
upon  the  waters,  all  conspired  to  impart  an  addi 
tional  melody  to  her  tuneful  voice,  which  started 
the  tears  of  old  ironsides  himself — the  old,  dried- 
up  founts  of  the  savage,  with  all  of  the  stern  phi 
losophy  belonging  to  his  race,  for  a  cold  endurance 
of  every  pang,  physical  and  mental,  was  unhinged 
of  its  shackles,  and  he  wept  as  a  child.  "  He  that 
dwelleth  in  the  secret  place  of  the  Most  High,  shall 
abide  under  the  shadow  of  the  Almighty." 

Manolia's  heroism  was  now  put  to  its  utmost ;  but 
who  can  measure  to  what  extremities  the  vibra 
tions  of  woman's  heart  will  hurry  her ;  hope,  never- 
failing  hope,  nature's  great  sustaining,  propelling 
power  the  never-dying  boon  bequeathed  unto  the 


THE   VALE   OF   TALLULAH.  133 

human  family  by  our  Great  Sustainer,  buoyed  up 
her  energies,  though  a  wanderer,  desolate,  and,  as 
she  thought,  exiled  from  home. 

The  novelty  of  the  occasion,  and  the  excitement 
naturally  produced  from  the  regrets  of  the  past, 
and  the  hopes  of  the  future,  totally  banished  sleep 
for  the  first  night  and  the  next  day.  The  rapidity 
of  the  current,  with  the  increased  momentum 
given  to  the  canoe,  by  old  Oothlacoochy's  skill 
with  the  paddle,  hurried  them  on,  surpassing  their 
hopes.  Night  again  came,  and  was  far  spent,  when 
Manolia  spoke  thus  : 

"  The  moon  doth  countenance  our  expedition, 
far  exceeding  Manolia  in  love ;  she  appears  to  be 
gliding  in  the  waters,  close  by  our  side,  teaching 
us  a  lesson  of  faithfulness,  in  the  absence  of  my 
beloved  parents,  thou  art  mindful  of  the  object  of 
their  solicitude,  and  hast  come  as  divine  tutelary 
for  their  exiled  daughter;  may  thy  beams  grow 
brighter  still  in  lighting  her  coming  home.  I  al 
most  wish,  that  the  basin,  into  which  these  lovely 
waters  have  ever  flowed,  was  now  filled,  and  that 
her  founts  were  exhausted,  that,  in  gratitude,  she 
might  return  with  increased  velocity,  to  cancel  her 
obligation  in  like  manner;  then  would  Manolia 
gladly  become  thy  rival.  But,  ah!  he  told  me 
that  these  same  waters,  upon  which  I  have  so 
often  sported,  washed  the  shores  upon  which  he 
12 


134  MANOLIA;   OR, 

lived.  He  has  searched  for  me  I  well  know,  and 
despairing  of  ever  finding  me,  has  left  for  his 
nome  and  his  friends.  I  knew  he  loved  me,  for 
ne  told  me  so,  and  his  noble  nature  would  have 
disdained  a  falsehood ;  and  my  parents  loved  me 
so  well,  that  I  was  so  taught  to  love  myself  so 
well,  that  Eossius  is  ever  endeared  to  me  for  hav 
ing  loved  Manolia  as  he  declared  he  did. 

"  I  will  seek  his  home  to  let  him  know  that  I 
yet  live,  and  have  not  been  swallowed  up  by 
those  angry  floods,  which  he  more  than  once  told 
me  would  be  my  doom,  unless  I  consented  to  go 
with  him."  Exhausted  nature  gave  way,  and  Ma 
nolia  falls  to  sleep. 

The  faithful,  ever- vigilant  savage  continued,  un 
mindful  of  slumber  or  fatigue.  He  steered  his 
skiff  again  safely  through  the  shoals  and  rocks, 
which  would  have  been  impossible  without  the 
light  which  the  full-orbed  moon  afforded.  The  old 
chief  beheld  the  rising  sun  over  the  eastern  hills, 
and  away  down  the  river,  on  its  western  bank,  he 
discerned  something  like  a  pyramid,  rising  from 
an  extensive  flat,  and  he  thus  exclaimed : 

"  I  know  now  there  is  truth  in  the  boy ;  for  I 
see  in  the  distance  my  fatherland,  where  sleep  the 
spirits  of  the  old  braves — may  nothing  thou  hast 
told,  my  child,  prove  less  true." 

This  speech  half-aroused  Manolia,  and  she  un 
consciously  said : 


THE   VALE   OF  TALLULAH.  135 

"  Let  it  be  as  thou  saidst  yesterday — but,  Ros- 
sius,  though  thou  art  seemingly  gentle,  thinkest 
that  these  mountains  could  hold  thee,  as  thus  you 
see  they  confine  these  waters  ?" 

Her  dream  woke  her ;  she  raised  up ;  her  first 
exclamation  was : 

"  Good  morning,  Oothlacoochy !  good  morning, 
bright-orbed  sun ! — it's  been  told  to  me,  thou  art 
more  intense  in  these  southern  climes,  whence  I 
am  bound,  than  where  I  have  always  known  thee 
— thou  wilt  then  give  forth  a  more  distinct,  intel 
ligible  shadow — mine,  last  night,  from  thy  fair 
consort,  answered  in  all  things  but  the  comfort  of 
answering  my  questions ;  but  now  I  see  myself  so 
plain,  on  yonder  shore  of  this  my  Tallulah,  now 
grown  so  wide  and  deep,  that  I  almost  fear  its  wa 
ters,  and  would  gladly  have  thee,  old  chief,  make 
instantly  to  where  rny  shadow  looks  so  bright." 
Upon  the  instant  the  canoe  shot  to  the  bank. 

Manolia  addressed  the  object  on  the  beach, 
which  she  took  for  her  own  shadow,  thus : 

"  My  lovely  self !  surely  thou  canst  tell  me  some 
thing.  Oh!  so  lovely — I  surpass  my  own  dear 
self — so  wondrous  fair ! — no  wonder  that  he  should 
have  been  so  matchless,  him  whom  I  search,  if 
these  climes  can  so  soon  cause  me  to  so  far  exceed 
myself.  Manolia !  my  dear,  but  better  self,"  (ad 
dressing  the  object  on  the  bank,  which  she  took 


136  MANOLIA;  OB, 

to  be  her  shadow,)  "  tell  me,  canst  not  thou  inform 
me  where  I  can  find  him  ?" 

To  which  the  following  reply  was  made : 

"  My  name,  fair  nymph,  is  not  Manolia,  but  I  am 
called  lolia.  I  heard  my  father,  in  much  sadness, 
tell  of  his  lost  brother,  of  whom  he  has  never 
heard  after  he  reached  the  mountains  many  years 
since.  When  he  left,  he  had  a  wife  and  an  only 
daughter,  but  three  years  old ;  her  name  was  Ma 
nolia,  and  just  my  age — my  own  dear  cousin.  Oh! 
how  often  I  have  sighed  to  meet  thee — I  wish 
thou  wert  her,  for  thou  art  so  fair!" 

Manolia  said :  "  I  took  thee  for  myself,  and 
calledst  thee  for  whom  I  took  thee ;  and  still  thou 
seemest  to  be  so  like  myself,  with  increased  attrac 
tions,  that  I  must  kiss  thee,  (advancing  from  the 
canoe,)  to  find  if  thou  art  other  than  Manolia's 
shadow."  They  kiss — again  they  kisss ;  and  con 
tinued  : 

"  I  have  been  so  excluded  from  the  world  in 
my  raising,  that  this  meeting  doth  appear  to  me 
so  strange,  having  associated  with  none  else  than 
my  parents,  this  old  Indian  chief,  and  the  lost  one 
I  am  now  in  search  of,  who  vowed  to  me  his  un 
dying  love.  lolia,  thou  dost  so  strikingly  resemble 
him,  for  which  I  will  ever  love  thee,  if  thou  dost 
prove  another  than  myself,  which  I  shall  with  dif 
ficulty  realize.  It's  true,  thy  voice  is  not  without 
variation  from  mine,  as  shadowed  forth  from  Tal- 


THE  VALE  OF  TALLULAH.  137 

lulah's  rocks,  and  thy  coral  lips  are  sweeter  by 
far  than  I  have  ever  found  my  own." 

To  which  lolia  replied : 

"  Come,  go  with  me,  my  fair  one,  I  will  promise 
you  that  my  dear  mother  and  I  will  reveal  to  you, 
that  thou  art  no  other  than  lolia ;  for  thy  welcome 
shall  be  the  same ;  unless,  perchance,  you  can  in 
cline  her  to  your  belief,  that  I  am  no  other  than 
thyself;  then,  in  that  event,  she  will  love  you  bet 
ter  than  her  own  lolia :  and  as  I  have  so  anxiously 
hoped  some  day  to  meet  with  this  lost  cousin  of 
mine,  I  will  substitute  you  for  her,  if  thou 
shouldst  prove  to  be  another.  Thou  answerest 
well  to  what  I  thought,  poetic  dreams  I  had  figured 
of  her." 

It  may  appear  a  little  out  of  character,  that  lolia 
should  have  been  down  upon  the  river  at  so  early 
an  hour;  her  father's  residence  was  not  far  off, 
and  the  romantic  spot  around  the  mound,  and  the 
number  of  Indian  relics  so  frequently  turned  up 
and  exposed,  whidh  she  was  fond  of  collecting  to 
make  additions  to  her  cabinet,  invited  her  down, 
and  she  selected  the  cool  of  morning  for  her  walk ; 
and  upon  seeing  the  approach  of  so  strange  and 
unusual  a  sight,  as  a  smal-l  skiff  descending  the 
river,  she  hurried  close  down  upon  the  waters,  and 
with  amazement  stood  eying  the  two  strangers, 
the  sun  just  having  risen  above  the  trees  on  the 
12* 


138  MANOLIA;    OK, 

opposite  side.  Manolia  never  before  having  seen 
one  so  like  herself,  excepting  her  own  reflection, 
all  concurrent  circumstances  tended  to  complete 
the  delusion  with  her,  that  the  object  on  shore  was 
none  other  than  her  own  shadow. 

The  cordiality  by  which  Manolia  was  received 
by  lolia  set  aside  all  restraint,  and  the  two,  as  ac 
customed  friends,  hastened  off  immediately  through 
the  beautiful  groves  and  shrubbery,  along  the  ' 
white  walk  up  to  Jerome  Neopold's  mansion,  not 
mindful  of  old  Oothlacoochy,  who  sat  in  the  canoe 
hearing  every  word  of  the  conversation.  His  sa 
gacity  soon  discovered  to  him,  that  this  was  the 
identical  place  described  by  Rossius,  and  lolia 
was  no  other  than  his  sister,  whose  refinement 
convinced  the  old  Indian  that  no  farther  concern 
ment  for  his  charge  was  necessary.  After  the 
girls  had  left,  he  solemnly  rose,  and  fastened  his 
canoe  safely  to  a  sugar  berry,  and  advanced 
towards  the  hallowed  spot  where  rested  the  re 
mains  of  his  venerated  ancestry ;  his  contortions, 
pantomimes,  and  wailings,  soon  attracted  the 
plantation  of  negroes  around  him;  some  of  the 
more  superstitious  confidently  believed  that  the 
spirit  of  one  of  the  old  warriors,  which  had  been 
sleeping  in  the  bosom  of  the  mound  for  many 
centuries,  had  been  awakened,  and  probably 
brought  to  life,  to  avenge  the  many  sacrileges  that 
had  been  committed  upon  their  graves. 


THE  VALE  OF  TALLULAH.  139 

Of  all  nations  of  people  on  the  face  of  the 
earth,  none  cherish  the  resting-place  of  ancestry 
with  such  reverential,  holy  feelings,  as  the  wild 
American  natives.  The  old  Indian  was  so  ab 
sorbed  and  devout  in  his  obsequious  rites,  that  he 
appeared  unmindful  of  all  surrounding  objects, 
though  a  multitude  had  assembled  around  to  wit 
ness  the  tragic  show ;  finally,  he  suddenly  broke 
off  from  his  circuitous  gymnastics,  ran  around  the 
mound  and  ascended  to  its  summit,  where  he  spent 
the  day  in  fasting  and  imploring  the  Great  Spirit, 
as  is  their  custom.  After  sunset,  apparently  labor 
ing  under  the  most  solemn  afflictions,  he  proceeded 
to  the  house,  where  he  was  cordially  met  by  the 
inmates,  some  account  of  whom  Manolia  had 
already  given,  and  she  conjectured  his  delay  at 
the  mound. 

lolia's  father  was  much  interested  in  the  old 
Indian,  with  whom  he  conversed  until  a  late  hour, 
ascertaining  to  his  satisfaction,  that  Manolia  was 
the  daughter  of  his  brother.  Oothlacoochy  was 
conducted  to  a  room — the  next  morning  he  was 
gone,  and  no  one  could  give  any  account  of  him. 


140  MANOLIA;   OK, 


CHAPTER  XX. 

MANY  months  after  the  date  of  the  commence 
ment  of  our  story,  a  young  stranger  was  walking 
along  one  of  the  promenades  of  the  crescent  city, 
with  his  eyes  fixed  upon  the  pavement,  in  a  state 
of  abstraction,  when  a  little  carrier  boy  thrusted 
into  his  face  the  morning's  paper,  crying  out  "  buy 
a  Picayune,  something  to  interest  you."  Not  being 
much  accustomed  to  the  stratagems  of  these  boys 
to  dispose  of  their  papers,  Rossius  was  startled, 
and  believed  he  was  recognized,  and  with  avidity 
took  the  paper  and  searched  it  most  critically,  and 
soon  discovered  the  telegraphic  despatch:  "Rossius 
hold  on,  Julius  will  soon  join  you." 

He  suddenly  wheeled  around  in  search  of  the 
newspaper  boy,  supposing  the  boy  could  tell  him 
something  of  Julius,  and  the  advertisement.  The 
boy  was  "non  est  inventus,"  as  might  be  supposed. 
This  despatch  had  reached  the  city  before  Rossius 
did,  and  being  apprehended  by  Julius,  he  in 
structed  an  acquaintance  living  in  the  city  to  give 
it  publication  until  his  arrival,  knowing  that 
Rossius  would  read  the  papers,  but  probably 
would  never  think  of  calling  at  the  post-office  for 
a  letter,  as  he  had  given  intimation  to  none  of  his 
friends  concerning  his  plans. 


THE   VALE   OF   TALLULAH.  141 

The  reader  will  recollect  that  we  left  Rossius  at 
the  parent  fountain  of  the  Tallulah  River ;  from 
thence  he  struck  a  course  north-west,  traversing 
the  two  states  known  as  the  "Nurseries  for 
American  soldiers,"  (Tennessee  and  Kentucky) 
and  finally  reached  the  Belle  city,  on  the  north  or 
right  bank  of  the  beautiful  Ohio.  The  word  Ohio 
means  beautiful,  and  this  river  was  so  called  from 
its  wide  transparent  waters,  and  from  its  pictur 
esque  shores,  being  so  beautifully  scolloped  by 
hills  running  in  semicircles  around  the  many  lovely 
vallies  upon  its  margin.  Perceiving  here,  if  he 
continued  his  contemplated  journey,  that  his  means 
must  very  soon  "grow  small  by  degrees,  and 
beautifully  less,"  and  that  he  might  visit  all  of 
the  points  of  interest  in  the  Mississippi  valley, 
immediately  contiguous  to  its  waters,  he  con 
ceived  of  the  plan  of  working  his  passage  down, 
until  reaching  the  great  western  emporium,  the 
Paris  of  America. 

Rossius  had  not  been  long  in  New  Orleans, 
before  he  understood  pretty  well  the  western 
character,  and  that  it  was  not  congenial  with  his 
refined,  cultivated,  sensitive,  sympathetic  nature. 
A  man  is  but  a  unit  in  this  western  world,  his  life 
scarcely  appreciated ;  if  perchance  he  should  fall 
overboard  of  one  of  their  headlong,  high-pressure, 
bellowing  steamers,  the  cry  of  "  A  man  over 
board,"  is  sung  out  with  reluctance,  so  great  is  the 


142  MANOLIA;   OR, 

eagerness  to  fill  out  the  measure  of  their  "manifest 
destiny.'  The  poor  fellow  overboard  has  only 
shown  too  much  impatience  by  "plucking  the 
fruit  before  it  was  ripe,"  and  must  abide  its  bitter 
ness  ;  if  he  had  waited,  time  would  have  softened 
and  mellowed  the  thing,  and  it  would  have  fallen 
to  his  hand,  according  to  the  course  of  things ;  all 
hurry,  bustle,  as  the  scene  was  in  Moscow,  when 
the  incendiaries  were  hurrying  from  house  to 
palace,  with  their  long  light- wood  torches  upon 
their  shoulders.  "  Live,  sink,  swim,  or  die,"  self- 
preservation  is  the  first  law  of  nature,  and  this 
being  the  only  maxim  taught,  "'perish  credit, 
perish  commerce,  perish  all,"  so  the  "cohesive 
properties,"  hold  me  and  mine. 

Eossius  was  not  raised  to  such  schooling ;  and 
though  he  had  begun  the  study  of  law  in  New 
Orleans,  he  was  fully  persuaded  that  the  genius 
of  the  people  and  his  own  sensibilities,  had  no 
ainnity;  and  he  had  begun  to  cast  about  for  a 
plausible  excuse  to  justify  his  return  home,  with 
out  too  great  a  sacrifice  of  personal  dignity.  His 
adventure  among  the  rocks  he  continually  re 
curred  to ;  it  would  ever  be  to  him  like  a  fairy 
dream,  of  the  most  pleasurable  reminiscence;  but 
still  it  weighed  him  down  like  an  incubus,  over 
whelming  every  pleasure  of  life. 

While  he  was  thus  lingering  in  this  condition 
of  uncertainty  and  doubt,  about  the  propriety  of 


THE   VALE   OF  TALLULAU.  143 

returning  home  to  his  beloved  fireside  associations, 
he  was  startled  by  a  sudden  rap  at  his  door. 

"  Walk  in,"  cried  Rossius. 

"  'Tis  his  voice,"  said  Julius,  hastily  entering 
the  room. 

"  Chum,  old  fellow,"  spake  Rossius,  rising  hastily 
from  his  chair,  "  I  am  so  glad  to  see  you  ;  if  you 
had  been  conducted  by  the  guardian  angel  of  light, 
you  could  not  have  timed  the  thing  better;  be 
seated,  old  fellow,  and  let  me  tell  you.  Julius — 
old  chum,  thou  knowest  not  the  world  of  obliga 
tions  this  visit  doth  clinch  unto  thy  fortunes  if 
this  '  child  can  ever  be  made  to  climb.'*  Come 
chum,  tell  me  something.  When  did  you  last  see 
Cassanio  ?  did  he  say  anything  concerning  home  ? 
Oh !  I  have  been  so  long  from  them  that  my 
anxiety  has  become  insupportable. 

To  which  Julius  replied  : 

"  I  saw  them  all,  just  before  I  left ;  they  were 
all  well,  but  held  in  anxious  suspense  concerning 
your  safety.  I  have  followed  your  trail,  and  you 
know  the  round  and  the  time  it  must  have  taken." 

"  Certainly,"  said  Rossius,  "  you  must  be  equal 
to  any  old  stag-hound,  to  have  ever  been  so  for 
tunate  as  to  have  struck  my  trail;  and  pray, 
where  did  you  come  across  it  ?" 

*  A  student's  phrase,  meaning  thereby,  if  fortune  should  ever 
favor  him,  and  the  opportunity  is  afforded  he  will  not  be  un 
mindful  of  the  obligations  he  owes  unto  Julius. 


144  MANOLIA;    OR, 

"  Where  your  valedictory  was  made,  I  suppose, 
to  the  mountain  goddess,"  replied  Julius,  and  con 
tinued  :  "  Thy  brother  forced  me  to  go  home  with 
him,  to  tell  the  tale  for  him  concerning  your 
'  whereabouts,'  which  I  did  in  the  best  manner  my 
ingenuity  could  devise;  and  I  was  so  cordially 
welcomed,  that  I  believe  in  your  absence  I  was 
mistook  for  you,  and  became  so  pleased  with  my 
new  state,  that  I  began  to  wish  you  had  gone  to 
California  or  Australia ;  however,  I  promised  your 
friends,  that  I  would  endeavor  to  overtake  you, 
and  remind  you  of  your  obligations  to  them,  and 
what  a  vacuum  thy  absence  has  produced  among 
them,  and. that  you  must  return  immediately." 

Says  Rossius :  "  Thy  arguments  and  pleadings 
may  be  spared  for  more  '  special'  purposes,  for  I  arn 
ready  to  confess  judgment;  but  tell  me  where 
and  how  managed  you  to  so  find  out  my  course." 

"  I  returned  to  the  falls,"  said  Julius,  "  and  wan 
dered  among  them  pretty  much,  I  suppose,  as 
you  did — an  old  hunter  told  me,  that  I  might  find 
your  bones  in  Wild  Cat's  Den  on  Bull  Sluice 
Mountain,  and  he  offered  to  show  them  to  me,  if 
I  thought  I  could  recognize  them ;  but  being  de 
ficient  in  anatomy,  I  declined  going,  thinking  I 
might  mistake  some  old  buck's  for  yours.  I 
next  met  an  old  savage*,  away  down  in  the  fork 
of  the  two  rivers ;  he  pointed  his  long,  big-muz 
zled  rifle  into  my  face,  and  wanted  to  know  if  I 


THE  VALE  OF  TALLULAH.  145 

could  tell  how  much  blood  it  would  take  to  sa 
tiate  the  thirstings  of  a  stomach  of  such  dimen 
sions.  I  told  him  my  blood  would  do  nothing 
towards  appeasing  his  thirstings,  or  his  gun's,  that 
it  would  be  like  drinking  the  ocean  waters,  that  I 
was  inclined  to  friendship,  and  was  in  search  of  a 
friend,  and  it  would  be  a  throwing  away  of  powder, 
and  ball  to  spill  my  blood ;  he  then  immediatly 
alluded  to  his  having  met  you,  and  that  he  at  first 
took  me  for  you — he  it  was,  who  put  me  on  thy 
track,  by  telling  me  all  that  he  told  you,  and  that 
when  he  last  saw  you,  he  prevailed  on  you  to 
leave,  which  you  consented  to  do,  but  with  great 
reluctance ; — he  told  me  you  steered  up  stream, 
had  seen  or  heard  nothing  of  you  since.  I  then 
followed  up' the  stream  to  where  it  was  but  a  small 
rivulet,  and  next  to  its  fountain  source,  and  there 
it  was  I  saw  thy  name  inscribed  upon  the  large 
beech,  close  at  hand — and  I  exclaimed,  'spare, 
woodman,  spare  that  beechen  treel'  and  named  it 
the  weeping  fountain,  at  which  I  supposed  thy 
valedictory  was  made.  I  then  struck  an  air  line 
for  Cincinnati,  and  there  too  found  your  name 
upon  the  register-book  of  the  hotel.  You  must 
have  stopped  at  no  other  town  until  you  reached 
here,  I  suppose?" 

Says    Eossius:  "Since   you   are   so  expert    at 
finding  out  routes,  I'll  procure  for  you  the  princi- 
13 


146  MANOLIA;   OR, 

pal  engineer's  place  on  the  Pacific  and  Atlantic 
Eailroad,  which  will  be  providing  for  you  a  life 
time  berth  of  honor  and  profit.  You  certainly 
must  have  come  across  a  rod  of  divination  to  have 
been  enabled  to  have  worked  out  your  course  so 
exact,  and  to  tell  besides  what  I  did.  I  actually 
did  go  into  a  sort  of  declamation  at  this  weeping 
fount,  as  you  have  appropriately  called  it ;  for  I 
must  confess,  on  that  trying  occasion,  hope  for 
sook  me,  and  I  felt  all  o'er,  the  very  shakings 
of  an  earthquake,  and  bid  farewell  to  my  under 
taking." 

"  And,"  said  Julius,  "  gave  up  the  eagle  to  be 
one,  or  an  '  ignis  fatuis.'  " 

"No,  sir,"  replied  Eossius,  "I  wish  it  had  so 
proven ;  I  sought-and  found  out  the  beautiful  god 
dess  of  the  cliffs — the  vale  of  Tallulah  she  said 
was  her  home — upon  inquiry  nobody  had  ever 
heard  tell  of  such  a  place.  I  conversed  a  great  deal 
with  her,  and  found  her  to  be  a  girl  of  inimitable 
beauty,  and  of  no  ordinary  endowments ;  her  com 
manding  elegance  and  brilliance  are  unrivalled, 
as  far  outshining  the  town  and  city  fashionables 
I  have  seen  here  and  elsewhere,  as  those  majestic, 
terrifying  works  of  nature  outmeasure  those  of 
our  low  country  rivulets — the  greatest  elevation 
on  their  banks  being^that  made  by  the  gopher  of 
the  pine  woods.  I  know  full  well  that  it  ever 
would  be  futile  for  me  to  attempt  anything  of  an 


THE  VALE   OF  TALLULAH.  147 

accurate  description  of  the  girl ;  for  that  it  would 
always  be  to  the  whole  crowd  of  you,  like  the 
doctor's  syllabub,  '  a  great,  big,  little  thing,  noth 
ing  at  all  almost  hardly' — and  it  would  be  a  per 
fect  waste  of  time  to  tell  of  its  being  anything 
else.  But  I  am  candid  to  confess,  whatever  it 
may  be  in  your  estimation,  I  know  enough  to  be 
assured,  that  my  earthly  happiness  would  be  more 
complete  in  the  possession  of  the  '  Iris  phantom,' 
as  some  of  you  called  her,  and  I  in  destitution, 
than  to  be  encircled  by  honors  and  riches  without 
her.  I  yet  entertain  the  hope,  that  some  day  or 
other  she  will  be  heard  of;  for  such  a  gem  must 
eventually  be  heralded  forth  to  the  world.  Have 
patience  and  suspend  your  irony,  we  may  yet  live 
to  see  this  '  thing  of  nothing,'  shining  forth  the 
most  brilliant  star  your  eyes  have  ever  yet  beheld ; 
but  enough !  every  rose  has  its  thorn.  This  sub 
ject  suits  not  my  present  condition ;  yet  I  know 
full  well  it  is  to  prove  as  inseparable  from  my  ex 
istence  as  my  own  shadow.  Our  stay,  Julius,  in 
this  eternal  city,  must  be  just  so  long,  as  to  give 
you  a  bird's-eye  view  of  its  main  springs,  that 
you  may  realize  what  a  babel  it  is.  You  per 
ceive  I  have  likened  it  unto  two  notoriously  famed 
cities ;  one  of  ancient  renown,  and  the  other  of 
modern  times:  the  city  of  the  seven  hills,  and 
modern  emporium  of  the  fine  arts  and  fashion 
Kome  was  made  up  with  adventurers  of  every 


148  MANOLIA;   OR, 

cast,  and  produced  her  Cassars,  who  thought  'the 
prize  of  a  crown,  justifies  the  crime  by  which  it 
was  won' — this  will  explain  to  you  their  identity. 
I  was  strongly  tempted,  for  the  first  time  in  my 
life,  to  yield  to  the  fascinations  of  euchre,  so  univer 
sally  the  fashion  on  these  floating  palaces,  and  also 
in  the  city. 

"  The  world  of  fashion,  in  our  large  cities,  know 
not  how  it  is,  that  one  can  be  raised  in  the  coun 
try,  particularly  a  female,  and  s.hine  with  lustre  in 
all  the  embellishments  that  mostly  adorn  their  char 
acter — a  casual  observer  would  very  naturally  run 
into  the  same  error,  from  judging  of  the  facilities 
offered  in  cities  for  mental  improvement,  and  de 
veloping  personal  elegance,  being  so  profuse ;  such 
as  libraries,  public  lectures,  reading-rooms,  asso 
ciations,  '  soiree  entertainments,'  are  reckoned  as 
the  '  sine  qua  non '  to  a  high  finish.  And  when 
my  own  observation  received  a  full  demonstration 
of  the  futility  of  such  cogent  arguments,  I  con 
fess  I  was  somewhat  staggered ;  but  the  very  argu 
ments  offered  can  be  used  to  the  subversion  of 
the  opinion  so  generally  entertained — these  great 
facilities,  which  the  cities  offer,  all  tend  to  create 
artificial  characters ;  we  are  by  them  allured  into 
the  opinions  of  others,  our  own  resources  become 
a  dead  letter,  without  which,  one  can  never  main 
tain  a  high  position.  The  anxious  student,  it  is  true, 
may  learn  the  'verbatim  et  literatim'  schooling 


THE   YALE  OF  TALLULAH.  149 

more  effectually.  The  old  grandmother  said  she 
never  wanted  her  little  grandson  to  go  into  the 
water  until  he  had  first  learned  to  swim.  The  ab 
surdity  is  just  as  great,  to  expect  an  analyzing, 
active  mind,  one  capable  of  meeting  emergencies, 
and  making  a  leader,  without  being  left  upon  its 
own  resources.  When  a  new  question  is  sprung, 
the  one  begins  to  cast  about  for  public  opinion, 
the  other  for  philosophical  truths  and  the  justice 
of  obligations.  A  bell-wether  will  lead  his  flock 
over  a  precipice  into  sudden  destruction.  Native 
graces,  too,  when  refined  by  education,  and  a  self- 
consciousness  of  rectitude,  are  ever  more  com 
manding,  than  when  artificially  taught  to  certain 
observances,  of  wearing  the  feet,  legs,  arms,  head, 
and  general  contour. 

"If  America  were  converted  into  a  city,  or  either 
of  our  great  cities  could  absorb  every  interest  and 
evolve  every  opinion,  as  Paris  is  said  to  be  '  all 
of  France,'  then  our  destiny  would  be  truly  ap 
palling.  You  might  find  the  statesman,  who  would 
as  Caesar  did,  thrice  refuse  the  crown,  but  only 
the  better  to  secure  the  diadem. 

"  This  thing  of  deification,  or  hero  worship,  is 
so  easily  got  up  in  our  cities ;  which  the  most  ab 
ject  husbandmen  in  the  country  do  utterly  loathe 
as  a  degeneracy  of  the  times,  and  a  sacrifice  of 
republican  dignity  ;  if  such  disgusting  deification 
13* 


150  MANOLIA;   OR, 

as  we  sometimes  witness,  be  consonant  with  onr 
institutions  and  our  age,  then  we  need  not  deride 
the  Hindoostans  for  their  idolatrous  -worship  of 
the  great  gun  of  Bijapoor,  upon  which  they  lavish 
their  ointments  and  perfumes,  and  strew  with 
flowers — a  gun  so  large  that  five  men  may  with 
convenience  enter  its  muzzle.  Tell  me  Julius, 
what  route  did  you  take  after  you  lost  my  trail  in 
Cincinnati  ?" 

"I  followed  the  currents,  touching  at  all  of 
the  points  I  thought  would  have  attracted  thy 
interest — such  as  Louisville,  the  mouth  of  Spoon 
River,  (as  the  Tennessee  is  called,  from  its  resem 
blance  to  one  in  shape ;  the  term  Tennessee  means 
spoon,)  Cairo,  the  growing  majestic  town  of  Mem 
phis,  destined  some  day  or  other  to  rival  the  great 
capital  of  Egypt  of  old,  of  the  same  name — the 
heart  and  nucleus  of  our  republic,  run  away  with 
enthusiasm  and  enterprise;  if  the  memory  of 
Washington  was  not  so  essential  to  our  harmony, 
this  place  would  eventually  become  our  capitol. 
I  next  stopped  at  the  river  of  death,  the  Yazoo, 
thinking  you  were  in  a  fit  mood  to  meet  its 
terrors  face  to  face,  and  many  other  points  ;  and 
when  I  reached  this  place,  I  hurried  to  the  great 
St.  Charles.  You  had  been  marked  by  the  polished 
bar-keeper,  for  he  had  no  occasion  to  refer  to  the 
register.  I  did  not  strike  him  so  favorably ;  he 


THE   VALE   OF  TALLULAH.  151 

interrogated  me  as  to  my  business  with  you,  as  if 
suspicious  of  my  intent.  'Sir,'  replied  I,  'I  am 
Rossius'  friend,  and  anxious  to  meet  him.' 
'  Waiter,'  he  sang  out,  '  conduct  the  gentleman  to 
No.—.'" 

The  next  morning,  Rossius  conducted  Julius 
around  to  see  the  principal  lions  of  the  city,  and 
upon  reaching  the  wharf,  where  a  world  of  vessels 
were  presented.  Says  Julius  : 

"  This  reminds  me  of  one  of  the  big  western 
new  grounds  covered  over  with  deaded  trees — the 
masts  are  so  thick.  Rossius,  do  you  know  why 
this  is  called  the  Crescent  city  ?" 

"  Every  one  of  whom  I  have  asked,  tells  me, 
because,  as  you  may  here  perceive,  the  course  of 
the  river  forms  a  semicircle,  something  resembling 
a  new  moon  or  a  crescent.  But  I  have  thought 
that  this  fickle  stream,  which  is  continually 
changing  its  course,  may  overcome  this  character 
istic  ;  which  has  surprised  me,  that  its  citizens 
have  not  thought  to  base  its  claims  to  its  being 
crescent  like,  upon  a  principal  more  enduring  and 
equally  characteristic.  Its  growing,  increasing 
commerce,  is  as  illimitable  as  the  extent  and  ca 
pacity  of  this  great  valley  drained  by  hundreds  of 
rivers,  all  flowing  through  this  one  channel." 

"  Now,"  says  Julius,  "  I  feel  well  repaid  for  the 
trip  thou  hast  led  me,  and  it  will  ever  serve  as 


152  MANOLIA;   OR, 

a  pleasing  memento  in  after  life ;  and  if  you  are 
willing,  we  will  set  out  on  the  next  train  to  the 
lake,  from  thence  to  the  next  gulph  city  of  im 
portance,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Alabama  river; 
travelling  upon  its  waters  will  afford  me  sufficient 
rest  I  hope — as  the  interpretation  of  its  name 
'  here  we  rest,'  originating  as  I  am  told,  from  an 
exclamation  of  the  old  chief  of  an  emigrating 
tribe  of  Indians,  when  he  reached  the  banks  and 
rich  flats  of  its  placid  waters,  he  involuntarily  ex 
claimed  '  Alabama !  Alabama !'  Then  we  may  be 
considered  as  being  homeward  bound." 


THE   VALE  OF  TALLULAH.  153 


CHAPTER  XXL 

WE  must  now  invite  the  attention  of  our  readers 
to  the  beautiful  vale  of  Tallulah ;  once  the  abode 
of  pleasure  and  uninterrupted  happiness;  but 
now  of  sorrow  and  discontent — a  paradise  turned 
into  woe  and  wretchedness. 

Manolia's  parents  knew  not  what  do  when 
they  missed  their  idol  daughter,  the  morning  after 
she  left.  The  note  which  Manolia  had  written,  the 
mother  found  upon  her  table,  giving  no  clue  as  to 
the  direction  she  and  Oothlacoochy  meant  to 
take ;  which  forestalled  all  hopes  of  the  father's 
intercepting  them ;  and  thus  the  idolatrous  parents 
had  to  abide  with  folded  arms  the  issue  of  coming 
events.  Who  can  measure,  excepting  the  fond 
parents,  the  angel  smiles  of  an  affectionate,  caress 
ing  daughter,  the  touch  of  whose  soft  hands  to  the 
aching  temples,  and  musical  tones  of  sympathetic 
endearments,  are  more  than  all  the  "  concord  of 
sweet  sounds,"  and  would  soften  down  the  asperi 
ties  of  the  god  of  battles,  his  stern  cohorts ;  the 
silent  tongues  of  Calypsa  and  her  nymphs,  would 
be  attuned  to  strains  of  music  divine.  Of  such  a 
cherished  blessing,  were  the  parents  deprived ;  a 
sacrilegious  robbery,  thought  the  father,  for  which 
there  is  no  reparation  this  side  of  Heaven. 


154  MANOLIA;   OK, 

Oothlacooehy  had  mentioned  to  the  father  the 
meeting  between  his  daughter  and  the  young 
stranger;  and  now  his  supposition  was,  that  the 
old  Indian  had  betrayed  them,  and  probably  had 
been  bribed  to  induce  Manolia  to  forsake  her  home 
and  parents,  to  again  meet  the  adventurous 
stranger ;  and  he  did  not  know  what  an  attractive 
young  man  might  effect  upon  the  artless,  unsus 
pecting  affections  of  a  young  girl — probably  ex 
tract  from  her  a  promise  to  quit  the  home  of  her 
childhood  and  her  parents  forever.  This  agonizing 
suspense,  which  Manolia's  absence  created  in  the 
bosoms  of  her  bereaved  parents,  was  kept  up  until 
the  fourth  night.  Oothlacooehy  arrived  at  their 
door — all  was  silence ;  he  supposed  the  vale  had 
been  deserted.  The  two  old  Spanish  hounds, 
Turk  and  Sledge,  met  him  not,  nor  gave  tongue 
at  his  approach,  which  he  recollected  never  to 
have  happened  before ;  he  entered  the  porch,  his 
footsteps  arrested  the  attention  of  all  within,  pa 
rents  and  dogs  drowning  each  other's  salutations. 
The  mother  met  him : 

"  Oh !  where  is  my  daughter — not  with  you  ?" 
The  poor  afflicted  mother  fell,  as  if  a  dagger 
had  been  driven  to  her  heart ;  for  many  days  she 
remained  insensible  to  passing  events — grief  had 
dethroned  reason,  and  suspended  vitality.  Eeader, 
let  me  assure  you,  this  is  not  a  sketch  of  fancy's 
pen,  but  an  occurrence  of  reality  ;  and  a  recollec- 


THE  VALE  OF  TALLULAH.  155 

tion  of  the  facts  reopens  the  founts  which  the 
scene  occasioned. 

Oothlacoochy's  remonstrances  and  assurances, 
that  Manolia  was  well  and  safe,  with  her  cousin 
lolia  at  her  uncle's  house,  was  unheeded  by  the 
mother ;  until,  after  many  days,  the  fountains  of 
grief  had  run  off  their  excessive  overflowings. 

It  would  be  well  to  mention  here,  that  Oothla- 
coochy  was  not  indifferent  as  to  the  anxiety  Mano- 
lia's  absence  would  create  in  the  hearts  of  her 
parents,  and  this  is  what  caused  him  to  leave 
Jerome  Leopold's  so  unceremoniously,  in  the 
night  after  he  was  conducted  to  his  room.  The 
indomitable  spirit  of  the  savage  had  engaged  his 
whole  soul,  which  entirely  banished  sleep  from 
his  contemplation,  and  he  stealthily  left  the  house 
so  soon  as  all  became  silent,  and  untiringly  made 
his  long  day's  march  up  the  river.  It  may  appear 
incredible,  but  no  horse  can  travel  as  far  in  a  day 
as  an  Indian.  The  question  might  here  arise,  how 
he  got  into  the  hidden  vale  on  his  return — the 
rope  ladder  taken  away  from  the  Eagle's  nest,  the 
canoe  gone? 

Soon  after  he  conducted  the  Neopold  family 
into  the  vale,  he  contrived  to  construct  a  foot- way 
over  a  deep  chasm,  where  Eockcliff  mountain  juts 
up  to  the  Tallulah  river,  just  below  the  valley ; 
the  rock  here  opened  into  a  vast  impassable  fis 
sure,  across  which  he  contrived  to  extend  two 


156  MANOLIA;   OR, 

large  chestnut  timbers  side  by  side,  up  to  which 
one  could,  with  great  difficulty,  attended  with 
danger,  climb  up  the  steep  rock  from  the  valley, 
by  holding  on  to  the  small  fissures  and  cracks  in 
the  sides  of  the  perpendicular — in  one  instance, 
the  foot  had  to  rest  on  a  sloped  projection  not 
wider  than  two  fingers,  and  one  could  at  very 
great  hazard  descend  into  the  valley.  Over  this 
frightful  pass,  the  author  has  been  conducted  by 
one  of  the  characters  alluded  to  in  our  book,  but 
not  without  very  great  emotions,  for  one  false  step, 
and  the  shores  of  eternity  would  be  our  landing 
place. 

When  Oothlacoochy  told  the  father  of  all  the  in 
fluences  which  operated  upon  him — relating  all  the 
history  of  Manolia's  interview  with  Kossius;  and 
then  the  fact  being  revealed,  that  Eossius  proved 
to  be  his  much  beloved  brother's  son;  the  brilliant 
little  boy  he  well  remembered,  and  that  his  daugh 
ter  was  with  her  cousin  lolia,  whom  he  also  recol 
lected  as  a  "fac  simile"  of  his  own  beloved 
Manolia,  he  became  reconciled  to  the  singular 
dispensation  which  had  caused  so  much  grief,  al 
most  proving  fatal  to  the  mother.  Rossius'  disap 
pearance  the  Indian  had  heard  no  account  of,  for 
having  remained  so  short  a  time  after  arriving 
with  Manolia,  no  allusion  was  made  of  the  youth, 
and  of  course  he  could  give  no  account  of  him, 
but  supposed  he  had  reached  his  father's  long 


THE   VALE   OF   TALLULAH.  157 

since — and  took  Cassanio,  whom  he  saw,  to  be 
Bossius — and  it  was  better  so  than  otherwise ;  for 
if  he  had  related  to  the  father  his  knowledge  of 
KrOssius,  the  uneasiness  of  the  family  would  very 
naturally  have  been  increased — for  the  supposition 
would  have  been,  that  he  had  probably  fallen  from 
the  dangerous  cliffs  and  been  lost,  as  was  the  in 
ference  of  old  Gray-beard,  the  hunter,  whom  Ju 
lius  first  interrogated  about  Eossius. 

After  the  excitement  and  apprehensions  con 
cerning  the  mother  had  been  allayed,  Neopold  said 
to  Oothlacoochy :  . 

"For  the  first  time  since  I  have  known  thee,  I 
was  led  to  suspect  thy  integrity  and  faithfulness ; 
you  know,  Oothlacoochy,  that  we  suspicioned  your 
having  been  bribed  by  the  stranger  you  saw  upon 
the  rocks,  and  that  a  scheme  was  plotted  to  rob 
us  of  our  only  solace  and  jewelled  hope  of  earthly 
happiness,  and  that  all  the  fruition  our  cherished 
hopes  promised  to  the  evening  of  our  earthly  pil 
grimage  was  gone,  vanished  forever;  but  thy  re 
turn  has  dispelled  the  gloom,  and  I  feel  there  may 
yet  be  a  return  of  day  after  the  watches  of  this 
gloomy  night  shall  have  been  passed." 

To  which  Oothlacoochy  replied : 

"Thou  hast  been  so  long  with  Oothlacoochy 
and  not  yet  learned  to  estimate  the  red  man's 
Bible?  "We  are  taught  to  know  not,  what  toil  is, 
14 


158  MAXOLIA;   OR, 

nor  hunger,  nor  suffering,  when  duty  or  gratitude 
makes  a  call — until  I  met  with  thee,  and  I  take 
thy  brother  to  be  made  of  the  same  stuff,  I  had 
supposed  that  all  of  the  pale-faces  were  Christians, 
claiming  but  one  Bible,  which  they  preach  and 
talk  a  great  deal  about,  but  all  I  ever  could  gather, 
means  nothing  more  or  less,  than  gain  all  you  can, 
and  take  care  never  to  be  cheated.  The  sin  lies  only 
in  the  detection — ever  innocent  until  branded  or 
cropped,  and  then  scouted  at  as  dogs,  by  those  even 
who  are  ten-fold  worse,  but  more  cunning.  If 
one  of  thy  boys  but  steals  a  tame  fox,  and  rather 
than  be  detected,  he  secures  it  under  his  bosom, 
and  suffers  his  bowels  to  be  torn  out,  rather  than 
be  branded  with  the  infamy — and  in  this  consti 
tutes  your  bravery.  After  all  this,  your  people 
write  and  talk  a  great  deal  about  Indian  chi 
canery,  Indian  duplicity.  Your  arts  practiced  for 
selfish  purposes ;  ours  for  our  glorious  inheritage, 
the  defence  of  our  rights — we  never  stop  to  count 
cost — you  never  stop  to  count  anything  else. 
Thy  daughter's  happiness  has  never  been  priced 
by  Oothlacoochy ;  pale-face  has  a  price  for  every 
thing  excepting  their  own  lives ;  ours,  we  sell  for 
the  most  they  will  fetch — Manolia's  is  the  price 
of  Oothlacoochy's." 

"  Oothlacoochy,"  says  ISTeopold,  "  you  must  go 
out  and  employ  men  to  come  and  assist  you  in 
cutting  down  a  safe  way  into  our  valley ;  I  intend 


THE   VALE    OF   TALLULAH.  159 

soon  to   have   my  brother  to   come  and   dwell 
among  us." 

We  have  now  done  with  old  Oothlacoochy,  the 
last  of  the  Cherokees,  and  his  faithfulness  proves 
what  staunch  auxiliaries  that  people  would  have 
made,  if  we  only  had  dealt  justly  by  them.  Poor 
old  Indian  1  he  yet  lingers  amidst  Terrora's  wilds, 
the  nearest  tenant  to  his  brother's  grave.* 

*  Oothcalaga,  the  brother  of  Oothlacoochy,  was  shot  by  a 
•white  man,  whose  grave  the  author  has  visited,  and  with  his 
own  hands,  hunted  out  a  rock,  and  added  it  as  a  head-stone  to 
the  mausoleum — and  while  standing  but  a  short  distance  from 
the  grave,  on  the  look-out  for  a  deer,  we  were  attracted  by  an 
object  in  a  thicket.  I  cried  out,  "come  up!"  Instantly  an  In 
dian  ushered  forth,  with  his  rifle  and  wolfish  dog  close  his  heels. 
I  mentioned  to  him,  that  I  had  just  visited  his  brother's  grave, 
and  had  contributed  a  stone,  and  written  on  a  tree,  near  by,  to 
designate  his  resting-place.  "U-ah,  you  have  a  pale  face  but 
a  red  man's  heart."  His  feelings  were  evidently  touched — his 
eyes  filled — he  dropped  his  head  and  departed. 


160  MANOLIA;   OR, 


CHAPTEK  XXII. 

WHEN  Manolia  reached  her  uncle's  house,  ac 
companied  by  her  cousin,  lolia,  she-  was  first  con 
ducted  into  her  aunt's  chamber,  where  she  re 
mained  until  time  to  dress  for  dinner.  Her 
baggage  had  been  sent  for  and  taken  from  the 
canoe  up  to  lolia's  chamber.  She  prepared,  or 
made  her  toilet  in  the  most  studied  manner,  as 
some  would  say,  (she  made  a  laborious  toilet,) 
though  simple  in  every  particular,  her  object  be 
ing  to  appear  as  she  did  when  Eossius  first  saw 
her  in  snow-white  upon  the  rocks.  Her  modesty 
forbade  her  making  any  inquiries  about  Eossius, 
but  she  expected  to  meet  him  at  dinner ;  yet  she 
was  not  a  little  surprised  at  his  not  having  shown 
himself  before. 

When  invited  to  dinner,  lolia  introduced  her  to 
Cassanio,  merely  as  her  brother. 

Cassanio  had  but  recently  returned  from  col 
lege,  bringing  Eender  with  him,  "who  was  also  in 
troduced. 

Manolia,  having  never  heard  of  Cassanio,  mis 
took  him  for  Eossius,  the  resemblance  being  very 
striking.  This  appeared  to  her  as  being  a  very 
cold  reception,  when  she  had  every  reason  to 
expect  an  increased  ardor — being  whetted  by 


THE  VALE  OF  TALLULAH.  161 

time  and  anxiety,  which  she  thought  must  have 
been  occasioned,  if  Eossius  had  been  sincere  in 
his  ardent  professions  upon  the  rocks. 

This  disappointment  was  humiliating  in  the  ex 
treme — her  pride  was  touched — her  fond  hopes 
blighted — her  first  aspirations  withered  in  the  bud. 

"Ah,  alas!"  thought  she,  "that  I  ever  should 
have  yielded  to  the  romantic  folly  of  leaving  my 
beloved,  devoted  parents,  to  have  ventured  abroad 
upon  such  a  crusade !" 

Manolia  had  nothing  to  sustain  her  drooping 
spirits,  excepting  the  fact,  that  the  home  of  Kos- 
sius,  which  she  had  sought,  turned  out  to  be  that 
of  her  own  dear  father's  brother,  and  that  she 
was  with  her  cousin,  lolia,  who  treated  her  as  a 
dear  sister ;  her  affections,  she  thought,  had  been 
wooed  but  to  be  trampled  upon ;  she  became  sick 
at  heart,  and  panted  to  be  back  again  at  her 
peaceful  home  in  the  lovely  vale  of  Tallulah. 

It  was  manifest  to  all,  that  none  of  the  luxuries 
of  dinner  appeared  to  be  relished  by  her,  and  that 
a  gloom  had  come  over  "the  spirit  of  her  dreams." 
This  sudden  transition,  from  the  gaiety  and  cheer 
fulness  which  her  every  manner  indicated  on  her 
first  arrival,  could  not  be  mistook,  unless  occa 
sioned  by  sudden  indisposition. 

Immediately  after  dinner  she  hurried  to  her 
cousin's  room  and  went  to  bed — so  changed  in 
14* 


162  MANOLIA;   OR, 

tone  and  spirits,  as  to  become  a  matter  of  great 
solicitude  with  lolia;  but  no  interrogations,  or 
caressing  endearments,  could  extract  the  slightest 
intimation  of  the  cause  of  her  extreme  sadness. 
Days  passed,  but  nothing  could  attract  her  to 
gaiety,  or  even'cheerfulness. 

When  all  seemed  to  be  lost  to  her,  and  "  the 
sear  and  yellow  leaf"  appeared  to  be  fastening 
upon  the  lovely  Maid  of  the  Eocks,  a  letter  was 
received  from  Julius,  informing  lolia  and  the 
family,  that  Rossius  was  found,  and  was  home 
ward  bound.  The  happiness  which  this  intelli 
gence  created  in  the  family — the  glow  of  feeling 
manifested  by  the  long  disconsolate,  affectionate 
sister,  could  not  fail  attracting  Manolia's  interest, 
though  apparently  fastened  upon  the  rock  of  in 
difference.  She  laid  aside  the  book  which  she 
was  reading,  and  called  her  cousin,  and  begged 
that  she  might  become  a  participant  of  her  joys, 
which  appeared  to  be  so  uncommonly  exuberant. 

"  Ah !  my  dear  cousin,"  replied  lolia,  "  our  long 
lost  Rossius,  my  brother,  is  heard  from,  and  on 
the  return  home ;  and  thou  must  pardon  me  for 
so  neglecting  you  all  day.  I  have  thought  of 
nothing  else  but  rejoicing,  and  of  mingling  the 
tears  of  gratitude  with  those  of  my  parents  and 
brother  Cassanio. 

"  Thou  knowest  nothing  of  this  strange  com- 


THE  VALE  OF  TALLULAH.  163 

mingling  of  tears  and  smiles,  despondency,  so 
quickly  succeeded  by  hope,  ever  engenders;  for 
thou  hast  no  brother,  or  sister,  who  were  ever  lost 
to  you ;  but  I  am  sure  thou  hast  too  sympathetic 
a  heart  not  to  sufficiently  appreciate  our  motives 
as  to  allow  its  excuse." 

"Ah!  bright  star  of  hope,"  replied  Manolia, 
"in  this  matter  of  feeling,  which  thou  hast  so 
accurately  described,  I  do  now,  and  will  more 
fully  appreciate  and  realize  than  thou  thinkest 
thyself  art  capable  of;  for  I  do  feel,  lolia,  that 
thy  rejoicings  are  more  to  me  than  to  thyself. 
And  now  thou  hast  an  explanation  of  what  thou 
hast  so  closely  interrogated  me.  I  had  thought 
all  this  time  that  Cassanio  was  thy  brother  Eos- 
sius — and  thy  only  brother — and  that  he  was 
unfaithful  to  his  solemn  pledges,  which  were  once 
vowed  unto  thy  cousin.  I  feel  now  that  my 
buried  hopes  are  once  more  revived." 


164  MANOLIA;   OK, 


CHAPTEE  XXIII. 

AFTER  the  secret  mysteries  which  had  for  a 
time  so  obscured  Manolia's  brilliance,  became  re 
vealed  to  lolia,  it  tended  to  identify  and  cement 
the  two  congenial  spirits  more  closely  than  ever — 
in  the  gray  of  evening,  while  drinking  the  delights 
of  the  hour  and  of  the  occasion,  in  the  midst  of 
the  perfumed  air  of  the  garden,  redolent  with  the 
exhalations  of  the  variegated  honeysuckle,  cape 
jessamine,  and  a  multitude  of  other  shrubbery, 
rivalling  each  other  in  sweetness,  with  the  same 
harmony  which  characterized  the  two  loving  spi 
rits,  in  the  love  they  bore  to  him  whom  they  were 
so  anxiously  looking  for. 

This  proved  the  eventful  moment  when  Eossius 
and  Julius  returned  to  the  beloved  home  and 
affectionate  friends  of  the  wandering  youth.  lie 
knew  not  the  pleasures  which  awaited  him — the 
meeting  of  parents,  sister  and  brother — from  whom 
he  had  been  so  long  separated — was  enough  to  fill 
the  measure  of  the  highest  hopes  brimming  for 
once.  But  when  the  youth  rushed  into  the  em 
braces  of  his  devoted  mother — and  after  over 
coming  the  first  gush  of  filial  affection,  he  cast 
around  and  saw  not  his  beauty  lolia — and  being 
told  that  she  was  in  the  garden  with  Manolia — 


THE  VALE  OF  TALLULAH.  165 

"  What !"  exclaimed  he,  "  Manolia !  From 
whence?  She  of  the  mountain — of  Tallulah's 
Vale?"  Rossius  immediately  hurries  off  into  the 
garden,  followed  by  Julius.  As  the  two  friends 
enter  the  pavilion  of  vines,  Tola  rushed  into  her 
brother's  arms. 

"  Oh !  my  dearest  brother,  how  happy  I  am  to 
see  you  once  more !.  I  ofttimes  thought  you  were 
lost  to  me  for  ever !  I  had  so  many  scolds  for 
you,  but  I  am  too  happy  to  sum  them  up.  But 
here  is  our  sweet  mountain  cousin ;  she  came  to 
fill  the  vacuum  which  thy  absence  occasioned." 

The  bliss  which  this  unexpected  meeting  occa 
sioned  must  be  left  to  the  reader's  own  imagina 
tion  ;  for  no  tongue,  or  pen,  can  but  fail  to  convey 
an  adequate  conception  of  the  emotions  of  the 
heart  when  thus  overwhelmed  by  realizing  the 
highest  hopes  of  earthly  bliss. 

"  Oh,  Julius,"  said  lolia,  "  thou  hast  laid  us  all 
under  such  lasting  obligations  on  account  of  the 
love  you  have  shown  unto  my  brother ! — thou  art 
so  welcome  I" 

"  Cherished  hope,"  said  Rossius,  taking  Mano 
lia  by  the  hand,  "  if  thou  art  my  cousin  in  truth 
I  must  pledge  thee  a  kiss — though  thine  own  an 
gelic  self  doth  attest  that  thou  art  something  to 
me  more  dear  than  even  cousin.  Ah !  Manolia, 
my  dearest,  thou  hast  caused  rne  so  much  agony, 
and  so  much  happiness — for  I  had  thought  that 


166  MANOLIA;   OR, 

thou  wert  lost  to  me  for  ever — which  came  near 
making  shipwreck  of  my  earthly  fortunes  and 
future  bliss ;  but  the  mariner's  pleasure  is  doubly 
enhanced,  after  having  narrowly  escaped  being 
engulphed  in  the  angry  billows  of  a  tempest- 
tossed  ocean.  The  offerings  of  pledged  affection 
which  I  made  thee  once  were  too  feeble;  and 
even  now  I  am  at  fault  for  a  standard  of  measure 
ment  by  which  any  just  conceptions  of  my  feelings 
can  be  rated. 

Cassanio  and  Eender,  just  returned  from  hunt 
ing,  enter  the  garden — find  Eossius  and  Manolia 
seated  on  one  side  of  the  summer  house,  and 
Julius  and  lolia  on  the  opposite,  deeply  engaged, 
with  the  cheering  consolations  of  love  lighting  up 
every  expression. 

"  Oh !  thou  lost  one,"  said  Cassanio  to  his  bro 
ther  as  he  approached  him,  "  thou  hast  become 
immortalized  in  the  estimation  of  us  all,  from  the 
concernment  thou  hast  given  us  about  thy  wan 
derings.  We  are  very  happy  though  in  thy 
return.  Here's  Eender,  whom  I  brought  home 
to  fill  thy  station." 

"How  are  you,  Eender?"  says  Eossius.  "lam 
happy  to  have  had  my  place  so  worthily  filled  by 
so  respectable  a  substitute.  This  is  the  happiest 
day  of  my  life;  and  I  am  rejoiced  to  have  you 
with  us  to  contribute  to  our  pleasures.  Eender, 
let  me  introduce  you  to  our  cousin  from  the 


THE  VALE  OF  TALLULAH.  1G7 

mountains.  She  is  no  more  or  less  than  the 
mountain  pheasant  bird  you  called  her,  of  which 
you  all  laughed  at  me  so  much  about." 

"  I  perceive,"  replied  Render,  "  it  is  a  thing  of 
life,  and  not  a  phantom  of  light  and  vapor,  as  our 
old  philosopher  divined  her  to  be.  Eossius,  thou 
art  an  expert  trapper,  to  have  caught  the  bird, 
when  no  other  knew  upon  what  food  it  fed,  to 
have  baited  with,  or  I  am  sure  thou  would st  have 
had  many  rivals,  and  your  humble  servant  not 
the  least  formidable." 

"  Bender,  let's  go,"  says  Cassanio ;  "  the  tongues 
of  this  quartinian  group  but  illy  suit  the  hunter's 
taste.  Our  appetites  call  more  strongly  for  a 
'  neat's  tongue  dried'  at  this  moment,  after  fasting 
all  day  in  the  woods ;  and  they  only  have  a  pre 
dilection  for  each  other." 

"  My  dear  cousin  Cassanio,"  replied  Manolia, 
"  thou  should  not  measure  another  by  thy  own 
bushel." 

"  My  fair  cousin,  retorted  Cassanio,  I  declare  if 
thou  hadst  shone  forth  such  a  radiance  of  sweet 
smiles  before  Rossius'  advent,  I  might  have  been 
inspired  with  a  taste  more  refined." 

"  I  am  sure,  my  cousin,"  replied  Manolia,  "  I 
love  thee  more  than  if  thou  hadst  been  thy  bro 
ther  Rossius ;  and  now  I  have  found  thee  out  to 
be  my  cousin  Cassanio,  I  promise  to  love  thee 
most  intentlv:  and  as  often  as  thv  sister  kisses 


168  MANOLIA;   OR, 

thee  I'll  promise  to  do  the  same,  so  that  thou 
shalt  know  no  difference  between  our  love." 

"  I  feel  doubly  enriched  by  the  acquisition  of 
another  sister ;  and,  to  prove  myself  worthy,  I'll 
promise  to  spare  no  diligence.  Come,  Bender, 
let's  to  the  house ;  they  will  follow  on  when  it 
suits  them.  As  Cassanio  and  Eender  retreated, 
he  continued  :  "  These  kisses  and  proffered  loves 
are  too  cordially  tendered.  A  sister's  kisses,  in 
deed!  are  too  like  the  inscription  on  the  sand 
beach — too  soon  obliterated.  I  want  a  kiss  that 
will  thrill  through,  and  for  a  month  to  come  make 
me  feel  that  the  perfumed  ruby  lips  are  still  im 
pressed  upon  my  own.  I  care  not  for  thy  sisterly 
kisses.  I  am  too  used  to  such.  They  are  too 
like  the  gentle  passing  breezes,  which  ever  and 
anon  do  kiss  our  cheeks,  but  passeth  by,  leaving 
no  impression  behind.  I  prefer  one  that  in  my 
dreamings  doth  make  me  feel  that  the  soft  roseate 
cheeks  are  still  in  contact  with  our  own — a  port 
able  pyerean  fount  of  joy  and  bliss.  Talk  not  to 
this  child  about  a  sister's  kisses ;  he  hath  too  oft 
been  teased  by  them.  Such  offerings  are  not 
suited  to  this  market." 

"  Cassanio,"  says  Eender,  "  thou  hast  too  often 
stolen  kisses  for  one  of  thy  years,  or  thou  couldst 
not  so  describe  them  with  such  exactness.  I  can 
tell  thee,  old  fellow,  so  marketable  a  commodity  as 
that  beauty  girl  has  tendered  thee,  will  prove  no 


THE    VAL1-:   OF   TALLULAH. 

dreg  in  any  other  market ;  1  am  forcibly  reminded 
of  the  parable  which  we  do  read  of,  about  the 
futility  of  casting  pearls  before  swine." 

"  Thou  wilt  sooner,  than  relished,  become  thy 
self  an  inmate  of  the  habitation  of  the  devil,*  to 
which  thou  alludest,  if  thou  mindest  not  thy 
ways." 

"  You  know,  Cassanio,  I  must  keep  rny  wits 
whetted,  for  my  motto  is  'quisque  suae  fortunai 
faber.'  My  ancestors  bequeathed  unto  me  neither 
honors  nor  riches ;  you  and  1,  Cassanio,  in  this 
matter,  stand  in  different  relations." 

Says  Cassanio :  "  I  hold  not  to  such  cant,  and 
would  ask  you,  does  he  who  claims  consideration 
from  the  distinction  of  ancestry,  hold  a  higher 
claim  than  his  ancestors  ?" 

"His  ancestors  of  course,"  replied  Eender. 

"Then,"  continued  Cassanio,  "you  who  are 
meritorious  '  per  se,'  are  entitled  to  be  ranked  with 
the  ancestors  of  those  aristocratic  inheritors  of 
distinction,  and,  of  course,  more  worthy  than  they." 

"  Quod  erat  demonstrandum,"  replied  Render, 
"  the  very  best  demonstration  I've  seen  out  of  the 
lids  of  Euclid,  the  idea  is  exalting  to  Render,  and 
he  will  take  encouragement  from  it." 

As  the  party  in  the  garden  rose  to  follow  after 

*  The  reference  is  to  one  of  Shakspeare's  remarks  of  the 
Jew  calling  swine  the  habitation  of  the  devil. 

15 


170  MANOLIA;   OR, 

Cassanio  and  Bender,  Bossius  playfully  addressed 
himself  to  the  company. 

"  And  this  is  my  fair  Manolia,  whom  I  sought, 
and  sought  in  vain ;  and  in  despair  I  left — for  I 
knew  not  where,  believing  that  she  was  lost  to 
me  forever — but  now  meet  again,  wearing  e'en  a 
fresher  beauty  ;  a  year's  interest,  added  to  what  I 
first  thought  inimitable ;  surely  thy  flowers  have 
greatly  multiplied,  and,  as  much  increased  in  fra 
grance"  and  exhalation  to  your  morning  dews, 
which  hath  imparted  an  unusual  supply  of  beauti 
fying  cosmetics  to  thy  mountain  toilet ;  you  must 
have  surely  engaged  thy  time,  and  employed  all 
of  the  humming  birds  in  collecting  extracts,  which 
thou  hast  imported  along  with  thee.  Say,  Tolia, 
is  it  not  so  ?" 

To  which  Manolia  immediately  replied : 
"  Thou  dost  sadly  mistake  my  employ,  and  as 
to  those  dear  pretty  little  birds,  their  own  persons 
doth  clearly  prove,  that  no  time  is  lost  on  others. 
I  told  thee  once,  I  neither  spared  the  pains  nor  re 
ject  the  morning's  roseate  influences ;  and  if  thy 
suspicions  be  true  as  to  my  importations,  it  has 
been  thus,  as  I  told  old  Oothlacoochy  of  "the  moon, 
while  on  our  voyage  down  the  Tugalo ;  for  she 
appeared  more  faithful  to  Manolia,  than  she  to  her 
dear  parents.  She  appeared  to  be  gliding  down 
the  stream  all  night  close  alongside  of  the  exiled 
girl.  I  had  trusted  a  change  had  come  over  '  the 


THE   VALE   OF   TALLULAH.  171 

spirit  of  thy  dreams'  in  the  watches  of  thy  long 
absence;  and  that  thine  old  vocation  had  been  re 
nounced,  but  I  see  thou  art  still  inclined  to  turn 
all  of  my  credits  to  thine  own  account  as  formerly. 
I  am  determined  to  measure  lances  with  you  no 
longer,  thou  art  ever  robbing  me  of  my  own  im 
plements,  and  turning  them  against  me." 

"But  ah!"  replied  Rossius,  "there  is  no  injustice 
in  my  practice,  of  thus  robbing  you,  as  you  say, 
as  all  of  my  offerings  are  for  thee,  and  I  enlist 
under  no  other  banner  but  thine,  and  fight  no 
other  battles  but  in  thy  defence ;  surely,  then  I 
am  justifiable  in  using  weapons  thou  hast  forged." 

Says  Manolia :  "  This  is  not  the  first  time  I 
have  heard  of  offerings.  Virgil  tells  us,  '  Timeo 
Danaos  et  dona  ferentes.'  Birds,  too,  do  frequently 
have  made  prodigal  offerings,  which,  unsuspecting, 
they  receive  under  the  fixed  trap,  and  then  their 
own  dear  selves  become  the  forfeit." 

Rossius,  Julias,  Render,  and  Cassanio  in  their 
chamber.  Says  Render : 

"Come  Rossius,  tell  us;  in  thy  wanderings 
among  the  cliffs,  didst  thou  see  any  more  of  such 
birds  as  thou  had  the  luck  to  catch ;  if  so,  I  will 
follow  thy  suit,  and  go  to  the  mountains,  and 
implore  to  become  a  medium  of  the  spiritual 
rappers." 

Says  Julius :  "  A  plenty  of  such  as  old  Gray- 
beard  described,  to  me  which  would  make  '  no 


172  MAXOLIA;    OK, 

bones'  of  fastening  just  such  a  rotund  subject  as 
yourself,  as  a  supper  for  their  cubs." 

"  Ah!"  retorted  Bender,  "but  I  will  not  venture 
forth  at  such  an  hour  as  they  do  prowl  about  in 
search  of  prey ;  and  perchance  I  should,  like 
Rossius,  so  far  loose  my  chart,  as  to  be  overtaken 
by  the  hour,  that  the  birds  of  ill-omen  do  venture 
forth,  with  their  frightful  screamings,  among  the 
cliffs  of  Tallulah's  wilds.  I'll  do  as  Rossius  did, 
crawl  into  old  Bruin's  saloon,  and  hug  his  shaggy 
highness  so  ardently,  that  I  would  pass  myself 
off  for  one  of  the  heirs  apparent." 

"Or,"  rejoined  Rossius,  "if  Render  should 
stumble  upon  old  Oothlacoochy,  the  Indian  chief 
of  Terrora,  and  he  should  take  you,  Render,  for  a 
nuisance  to  this  world,  and  a  disturber  of  the 
game  of  his  favorite  haunts,  and  should  tell  you, 
'young  man,  you  are  wasting  your  time  here,  you 
had  better  go  home  to  work,'  at  the  same  time 
presenting  the  yawning  mouth  of  his  hideous  old 
yawger,  with  a  calibre  I  could  thrust  my  thumb 
into,  saying,  '  don't  you  think  it  would  take  a 
mighty  chance  of  blood  to  satisfy  her  cravings, 
old  Nancy  Hart  herself,'  he  continued  'of  old 
Elbert,  was  a  thing  of  nothing  to  this  old  piece, 
though  she  shot  three  British  soldiers  with  their 
own  muskets." 

"I  would  tell  him,"  says  Render,   "that  my 


THE   VALE   OF  TALLULAH.  173 

blood  was  filled  with  pestilence,*  and  not  fit  to 
drink,  and  offer  him  my  flask." 

"And  that  in  all  probability,"  said  Cassanio, 
"  would  be  empty,  for  thou  sayest  that  the  coldness 
of  the  mountain  water  requires  a  little  of  the  '  all 
joyful'  mixed  in,  to  prevent  its  cramping  the 
stomach." 

"Cassanio,"  replied  Bender,  "thou  hast  fairly 
robbed  me  of  my  vocation.  Caesar  exclaimed 
that  'danger  knew  full  well,  that  I  am  more 
dangerous  than  he.'  In  paraphrasing  the  senti 
ment,  I  would  reverse  the  order,  and  say  that 
ambition  knoweth  full  well  that  Cassanio  is  more 
ambitious  than  he ;  thy  rich  inheritance  of  honor 
and  wealth  doth  not  satisfy  thee,  but  contendeth 
for  a  monopoly  of  all  that  is  cherished  by  ambi 
tious  calling;  but  to  the  question,  old  Oothla- 
coochy  would  find  me  so  valuable  a  cohort,  that 
I  would  be  taken  into  co-partnership,  and  my 
mesmerizing  manipulations  practiced  upon  some 
of  those  old  seven  snagged  bucks  Julius  saw,  so  as 
to  get  in  reach,  to  cut  their  throats.  I  beg  pardon, 
Cassanio,  for  using  the  term  throat,  which  has 
become  so  loathsome  to  thy  chaste  sensibilities." 

"  Thou  mistakest,"  retorted  Cassanio,  "  but  I  do 

*  The  Indians  have  a  great  horror  of  the  small  pox,  which 
\vas  never  known  to  them  until  introduced  among  them  by  the 
whites. 

15* 


17-1  MANOLIA;   OR, 

loatlie  vulgar  perversion  of  terms ;  it  makes  my 
very  flesh  crawl,  to  hear  a  lady  substitute  throat 
for  the  angelic,  graceful  curvatures  of  the  swan- 
like  neck  of  beauty,  thy  yearnings  after  criticism 
doth  lead  thee  on,  to  the  attack  of  virtue  and 
chastity.  You  merely  heard  me  remark  that  I 
preferred  hearing  a  lady  say  that  she  wore  her 
necklace  around  her  neck,  than  to  say  around  the 
throat  or  guzzle ;  for  the  grosser  animal  functions 
of  beauty,  we  never  like  mention  being  made  of, 
for  it  tended  to  lessen  our  appreciation  of  female 
charms  and  perfectibility." 

Says  Render:  "Cassanio,  thou  art  yet  a  novice 
in  the  one-half  of  the  progressivness  of  the  age ; 
thou  art  sadly  behind  the  times,  which  is  just  as 
bad  as  to  be  ahead  of  the  age,  as  is  said  in  com 
pliment  of  some  of  our  politicians  ; — thou  art  too 
fastidious  ever  to  marry  a  fashionable  girl ;  know- 
est  thou  not  that  a  fashionable  life  enures  to  the 
development  of  all  of  the  animal  functions.  High 
seasoned  foods,  stimulating  drinks,  and  sometimes 
other  indulgences,  contribute  to  give  rotundities 
and  protuberances,  anterior  and  posterior,  which 
we  find  now,  in  our  day,  the  more  delicate  and  re 
fined  ones  are  attempting  to  rival  with  starch  and 
hemp-cloth.  Cassanio,  let's  go  to  the  mountains, 
and  marry  some  of  those  pure,  unsophisticated 
mountain  girls,  as  untainted  by  fashionable  fully  as 
the  atmosphere  which  they  breathe  is  uncontami- 


THE   VALE   OF   TALLULAH.  175 

nated  by  pestilence;  the  air  and  water  they  partake 
of,  must  operate  intellectually  and  morally,  as 
well  as  physically.  We  will  settle  down  in  some 
of  those  deep  caverns,  where  we  can  hear  our 
shaggy  hounds  chasing  the  bucks  all  around  us, 
making  the  welkin  ring  like  the  roaring  of  dis 
tant  mountains :  as  Rossius  tells,  that  he  lay  one 
night  under  one  of  those  cliffs,  during  a  thunder 
storm,  when  the  mountain  over  his  head  gave  the 
most  sublime  echoings  of  a  concatenation  of  sounds, 
startling  one  with  the  conviction,  that  the  rocks  and 
their  deep  foundations  were  upheaving,  and  being 
ripped  up  from  their  long  repose,  which  had  lasted 
until  then  from  the  beginning  of  time,  giving  signs 
of  woe,  that  all  was  lost.  Do  you  know  that  1 
am  never  reminded  of  Milton,  but  that  I  think 
the  vehicle  in  which  he  would  have  us  ride  is  too 
high  sprung, for  the  safety  and  convenience  of  this 
cab-riding,  railroad-moving,  impatient  age  of  ours 
— and  that  he  can't  have  a  satellite  whom  the 
critics  will  not  stigmatize  as  being  exceedingly 
bombastic,  so  I  must  be  careful  of  my  plagiarisms. 
I  notice,  whenever  he  is  quoted,  the  chaste  scho 
lars  put  their  fingers  in  their  mouths.  I  do  con 
fess  I  had  like  to  lost  my  subject — and  as  I  was 
going  to  say,  Cassanio,  we  will  feast  on  venison — • 
and  do  you  know  how  the  old  hunters  explain  how 
it  is,  that  the  flesh  of  deer  is  more  healthy  than 
any  other  animal  food ;  I  can't  vouch  for  the  logic 


176  MANOLIA;  OK, 

of  the  argument ;  but  they  do  say  that  the  deer  has 
no  gall,  and  that  therefore  they  can  feed  upon  the 
ivy  and  all  other  noxious  herbs,  with  impunity ; 
thereby  their  flesh  became  impregnated,  and  those 
consequently  who  fed  upon  their  flesh,  thus  con 
stituting  a  peculiar  idiosyncrasy,  which  resisted 
all  that  is  deleterious  in  the  atmosphere  or  in  diet. 
This  reminds  of  an  old  adage :  '  the  hair  of  the 
same  dog  cures  the  bite.'  What  think  you,  Cas- 
sanio  ? — Cassanio  !  Eossius  I  Julius ! — by  the  eter 
nals,  all  asleep,  and  my  loquacity  but  an  elegy  to 
their  slumberings.  Thus  it  is  with  the  world, 
mindful  of  nothing  but  our  follies,  all  punish 
ments  and  no  rewards — blast  the  reflection,  it 
blights  one's  amblition ;  it  is  pretty  much  as 
the  fellow  said  when  asked  for  a  contribution 
for  Clay's  monument :  '  He  got  what  he  wanted, 
and  was  paid  well,  all  but  the  Presidency,  and  if 
he  had  got  that,  he  would  have  been  well  paid, 
and  content  to  boot.'  '  We  want  but  little  here 
below,  nor  want  that  little  long.'  "  Sleeps. 


THE    VALE    OF   TALLULAII.  177 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

AND  now,  while  seated  upon  a  rock,  surrounded 
by  the  foaming  waters  of  Tugalo,  writing  upon 
the  stock  of  our  favorite  rifle  and  shot-barrelled 
gun,  made  for  us  by  the  distinguished  smith,  Ro 
gers,  of  Augusta,  in  wait  to  meet  the  pursued 
buck,  when  he  makes  his  plunge  into  the  boiling 
surges,  no  less  mad  than  he,  whose  pure  and 
limpid  waters  we  have  but  recently  made  turbid 
by  the  blood,  from  the  deadly  shot  inflicted  upon 
an  antlered  stag,  having  plunged  into  the  stream 
to  arrest  his  being  swept  off  by  the  rapid  cur 
rent. 

Manolia,  who  had  spent  her  life  amid  the  rocks 
and  cliffs,  and  dashing  surges  of  the  wild  Tallu- 
lah,  began  to  grow  weary  of  her  absence,  and 
longed  to  return  again  to  the  bosom  of  her  fond 
parents,  whose  anxiety  too,  had  grown  almost  in 
supportable — and  all  necessary  arrangements  be 
ing  made,  they  hastened  to  comply  with  the  invi 
tation. 

But  it  seems  to  us  not  inappropriate,  to-day, 
while  in  wait  for  the  pursued  buck,  again  sur 
rounded  by  the  enchanting  melodies  of  Tugalo's 
rapids,  my  gun  across  my  lap,  serving  as  a  desk, 
to  add  in  a  little  incident  of  my  own  life's  history, 


178  MANOLIA;    OR, 

by  way  of  amusement  to  those  of  our  readers  who 
are  fond  of  the  chase.  Since  throttling  the  old 
buck,  which  I  have  but  recently  made  mention  of 
in  the  beginning  of  this  chapter,  I  had  suspended 
writing  for  many  days,  and  have  had  the  most  excit 
ing  chase  of  my  experience,  and  since  I  have  been  so 
gratified  with  my  day's  amusement,  I  must  tell  it ; 
for  in  the  first  place,  it  is  so  fully  demonstrated,  that 
my  dogs  and  gun  were  of  the  very  best  mettle 
that  ever  played  at  the  claret  founts  of  noble 
game,  or  made  music  and  melody  for  the  ear  of 
majesty.  I  well  know  the  reader  will  here  sarcas 
tically  exclaim,  that  every  huntsman's  dogs,  like 
every  jockey's  horse,  are  always  the  very  best  in 
the  world. 

Cleveland  reported  to  me,  that  I  was  mistaken 
in  having  supposed  that  I  had  killed  the  notori 
ously  majestic  old  Eockcliff  buck,  whose  sagacity 
and  prowess  had  eluded  dogs  and  hunters  for  so 
many  seasons,  and  that  he  had  found  out  his  lair, 
and  no  mistake.  The  next  morning  we  set  out 
with  our  pack  of  dogs,  mostly  of  the  shaggy  Span 
ish  breed  of  hounds,  (the  best  in  the  world.)  Im 
mediately  afer  turning  the  summit  of  Bull  Sluice 
Mountain,  on  the  south  side,  one  of  my  old 
roughs  gave  tongue  instantly,  little  rough  spike, 
hurrying  in,  rearing  up  to  smell  the  bushes  higher 
than  he  could  reach,  then  all,  with  maddened  yells 
of  revenge,  joined  in,  making  the  old  mountain 


THE  VALE  OF  TALLULAH.  179 

arid  its  deep  caverns  resound  in  echoings,  harmo 
nizing  with  the  constant  roar  of  Tugalo's  rapids, 
calculated  to  awaken  the  conviction  in  the  poet, 
that  the  naiads  had  assembled  in  conclave  with  all 
of  their  concord  of  sweet  sounds,  to  do  homage  to 
the  pure,  living  founts  of  this  country,  so  un 
rivalled. 

"Ah!"  says  Cleveland,  "I  know  them  signs — I 
can't  be  fooled  ;  the  bristled  rage  of  Fuzzy  Guzzy, 
Clincher,  Spunk,  True  Blue,  and  old  Fidler,  shows 
that  they  know  him  to  be  noble  game ;  see,  too, 
how  wide  awake  old  Trim,  Blanche,  and  Dash,  all 
appear  to  be.  No  other  buck  left  in  these  moun 
tains  leaves  his  trail  so  high  up  on  the  bushes ; 
the  proper  game,  and  no  mistake.  Their  mettle 
is  up,  and  they  will  have  the  old  customer  up 
and  a  going  before  you  are  aware.  Take  down 
the  ridge  that  leads  to  the  seven  islands,  to 
the  old  turkey-pen  stand — look  well  to  your  fire 
locks,  and  when  you  hear  him,  and  see  him  com 
ing,  mind,  mate,  don't  let  his  big  horns  throw  you 
off  of  your  guard,  but  look  well  to  your  fore  and 
hind  sights ;  act  out  your  part  in  the  drama,  as 
well  as  I  know  them  dogs  will,  and  this  will  be 
the  last  scene  acted  in  the  tragedy  of  his  life's 
performance.  Now  don't  grow  uneasy  if  he 
shouldn't  make  to  the  river  through  your  stand, 
and  takes  a  tack  away  by  the  round-top  stump, 
(for  I  see  every  dog  is  full  of  thunder  and  ven- 


180  MANOLIA;   OR, 

geance,)  they  will  never  stop  short  of  putting  him 
into  the  Tugalo  three  times,  and  by  then  he  will 
never  undertake  to  climb  one  of  these  mountains ; 
he  will  then  try  Bull  Sluice,  and  make  for  the 
seven  islands  ;  but  you  must  meet  him  above  the 
Sluice,  and  settle  the  dispute  before  he  reaches 
those  everlasting  islands."  Before  I  reached  my 
stand  he  was  uncovered — away  they  put  off  at  a 
killing  pace  towards  Panther  Creek.  I  just  could 
hear  the  long,  loud,  perplexed  yellings  of  the 
dogs,  as  if  at  fault.  What  does  all  that  mean? 
thought  I — it  surely  can't  be  the  old  buck  the 
dogs  are  after;  for  if  he,  the  dogs  can  run  full 
speed  fifty  yards  off  of  his  track.  Presently  I 
heard  the  hounds  coming,  "  with  vengeance  in  their 
teeth,"  (as  the  hunter  said,)  as  their  tongues  de 
noted,  right  on  their  back  track  towards  where 
they  had  jumped  him. 

"  I  believe  the  dogs  have  been  cheated,  and  the 
old  rascal  has  substituted  a  fawn  to  act  out  the 
to-day's  performance,"  sang  out  Cleveland. 

"Never,"  replied  I;  "first  heat  too  long" — (a 
moment's  pause.) — Cleveland  listening  high  above 
me,  at  the  old  Pine  Station  heights. 

"  You  are  right ;  they  are  crossing  over  the 
mountain  and  going  above.  The  old  fellow  has 
smelt  danger  in  the  air.  They  will  make  right 
for  the  bloody  gap,  down  woods,  Thompson's 
Ridge,  over  the  turnpike,  and  round  the  lower 


THE   VALE   OF  TALLULAH.  181 

point  of  Rockcliff,  and  in  at  Battle  Creek  Island. 
You  can't  get  down  on  the  river  above  Bull  Sluice 
too  soon ;  for  the  way  the  dogs  are  licking  it  into 
him  now  is  the  right  way.  I  wouldn't  be  sur 
prised  if  he  never  quits  the  river  after  he  takes  it 
the  first  time." 

Sure  enough — as  Cleveland  predicted — the  old 
veteran  was  brought  to  his  low,  short  jumps,  head 
and  tail  down,  by  the  time  he  reached  the  river ; 
and  he  thought  "  prudence  was  the  better  part 
of  valor ;"  so  rather  than  undertake  the  difficult 
ascent  of  the  Picken's  Mountain  on  the  Carolina 
side,  he  took  down  in  the  river ;  and  as  soon  as  I 
reached  the  point  on  the  river  which  Cleveland 
had  designated,  I  saw  the  buck  swimming  down — 
his  head  and  antlers  lifted  high  above  the  water, 
tossing  to  the  right  and  left,  nostrils  distended — 
in  fact,  every  sense  on  the  "  qui  vive"  for  danger. 
I  planted  myself  on  the  water's  edge.  He  was 
descending  close  under  the  opposite  shore;  and 
just  above  the  opposite  point  from  where  I  stood 
a  ledge  of  rocks  made  into  the  stream,  upon  which 
he  majestically  walked,  looking  around,  as  if  sur 
veying  the  chances  of  escape — and,  poor  old  vete 
ran,  he  had  run  his  race — at  the  crack  of  my  rifle 
he  bounded  off  of  the  rocks  into  the  water. 

"  The  work  is  done.  You  gave  him  a  lofty 
fall,"  cried  a  voice  in  my  rear,  on  the  side  of  the 
16 


182  MANOLIA;    OR, 

mountain.  "  You  have  broke  his  neck :  I  see  the 
flow  of  blood  from  where  your  bullet  entered. 
After  all,  he  is  bound  to  go  through  Bull  Sluice, 
as  T  said,  for  he  is  fairly  in  the  suck." 

We  hurried  below  the  rapid,  and,  as  conjec 
tured,  the  counter  current  brought  him  around 
the  Giant's  Arm  Chair,  and  he  was  drawn  by  his 
branching  horns  upon  the  rock,  thereby  demon 
strating  the  truthfulness  of  old  Graybeard's  warn 
ing  to  Julius. 

This  was  a  day  worthy  of  commemoration,  from 
the  majesty  of  the  game,  trophy  of  horns,  the  long, 
hard  run  race  over  steeps  and  rocks,  the  melody 
of  the  hounds  resounding  among  depths  and  high 
places — each  one  earning  glory  sufficient,  in  their 
struggling  which  shall  be  foremost  in  the  chase — 
and  at  the  closing  scene  I  beheld  every  dog 
swimming  the  rapid  current,  contending  with 
ambitious  spirits  who  shall  be  foremost  to  taste 
his  blood,  and  complete  the  triumph. 

"  Well,"  says  Cleveland,  "  he  is  a  proper  buck. 
"  I  am  sorry  for  you,  old  fellow,  and  I  wish  now 
I  could  fetch  you  to  life;  for  it  will  take  five 
years  to  make  the  best  buck  left  in  these  moun 
tains  as  good  as  he." 

And  thus  it  is  with  our  every  struggle  in  life. 
•The  anticipated  pleasures  upon  the  consummation 
of  our  aspirations  are  never  realized ;  and  when 
ever  one  object  is  attained,  our  yearnings  go  forth 


THE   VALE   OF  TALLULAH.  183 

in  search  of  other  fields  of  sunshine  and  pleasures 
to  bask  in.  Soon  after  commencing  the  ascent  of 
the  mountain  from  the  river  on  the  return  home, 
the  threatening,  boiling  black  clouds,  and  the  con 
stant  mutterings  of  heaven's  artillery,  denoted  the 
speedy  approach  of  one  of  those  appalling  storms, 
which  the  reverberation  amidst  these  chasms  and 
cliffs  ever  magnify  into  the  most  sublime  and  ter 
rific  phenomena.  Very  soon  I  began  to  realize  a 
demonstration  of  the  flashes  and  quick  reports. 
The  windows  and  doors  of  heaven  seemed  to  have 
been  shook  open  upon  their  grating  hinges,  and 
all  earth  shook.  Never  before  had  I  been  able 
to  fully  appreciate  the  mountain  torrents  which 
we  do  read  of.  They  came  hurling  down  on 
every  hand,  threatening  an  overwhelment  of  every 
impediment.  I  began  to  cast  about  for  a  point 
of  safety,  and  took  shelter  under  an  oak  upon  a 
rock  upon  a  sharp  knoll,  the  temporary  cataracts 
descending  with  wild  fury  on  either  hand  down 
to  the  swelling  river.  "  The  noise  and  confusion" 
which  so  deafened  my  ears,  could  but  excite  my 
apprehensions  of  the  exhibitions  of  one  of  those 
alarming  phenomena  which  have  been  described 
and  their  ravages  marked  out  to  me  by  the  old 
mountaineers  of  this  singularly  interesting  country. 
We  have  all  read  and  heard  of  the  alarm  created 
in  the  mariner's  apprehensions  upon  the  appear 
ance  of  a  water  spout  at  sea.  These  mountain 


184  MANOLIA;   OR, 

spouts,  as  they  are  termed,  are  no  less  to  be 
dreaded.  I  am  told  they  occasionally  occur  after 
long  wet  spells,  and  then  a  heavy  fall  of  rain, 
such  as  I  have  described.  Two  opinions  are  enter 
tained  as  to  their  cause.  Some  with  whom  I  have 
conversed,  believe,  that  the  mountains  become  so 
saturated,  and  their  cavities  so  filled  with  water, 
and  then  a  great  fall  of  rain,  causes  a  bursting  out 
of  the  water  on  the  side  of  the  mountain  in  a  sluice, 
irresistible,  tearing  up  trees  and  rocks,  and  hurl 
ing  them  down  the  steep  with  desolating  fury,  ex 
cavating  a  most  frightful  yawning  chasm.  Others 
suppose  that  from  the  whirling  of  the  atmosphere 
the  heavily  charged  clouds  are  concentrated  into 
a  volume  of  water,  and  that  the  momentum  of 
this  volume  does  the  mischief.  Which  of  these 
theories  is  the  most  potent  is  left  to  conjecture 
and  future  development. 

These,  my  readers,  are  some  of  the  majestic 
sublimities  amid  which  we  mountaineers  are  con 
tinually  exposed ;  and,  if  we  had  the  graphic  pen 
of  some  who  have  written  to  enlighten  the  world, 
we  would  gain  for  ourselves  immortal  fame.  After 
the  vehemence  of  the  storm  began  to  abate,  I 
recommenced  the  difficult  ascent ;  and  upon  reach 
ing  the  summit,  smiling  contentment  and  the 
repose  of  a  slumbering  babe  seemed  to  reign  over 
the  wide  expanse  of  mezzotinted  peaks,  as  if  no 
rage  had  ever  been  awakened  in  their  midst. 


THE   VALE   OF'TALLULAH.  185 


CHAPTEK  XXV. 

THE  pleasures  of  the  ecstasy  of  mournful  joy 
we  all  can  appreciate  if  we  have  never  been  over 
whelmed  by  its  majesty. 

Woman's  tears  have  never  failed  to  elicit  a 
gushing  forth  of  the  fountains  of  the  most  obdu 
rate  heart.  We  have  described  the  mother's  grief 
at  the  disappointment  of  a  daughter's  return.  On 
that  occasion  the  excess  of  burning  grief  dammed 
up  the  fountains,  and  the  safety  valves  refused  to 
give  vent  to  the  impulses  of  nature ;  and,  accord 
ing  to  the  fixed  principles  of  philosophy,  some  of 
the  machinery  must  give  way:  consequently, 
''  reason  became  dethroned,"  and  Manolia's  mo 
ther  never  was  restored  to  her  wonted  tempera 
ment  and  sociality  until  now  we  witness  her  bath 
ing  her  child  in  affection's  tears.  After  a  long 
pause,  which  the  solemnity  of  the  scene  imposed — 
for  none  but  were  too  much  affected  to  give  utter 
ance  to  a  sentiment — finally  Manolia  broke  the 
silence  that  had  reigned  by  exclaiming :  "  My 
dearest  mother,  thy  tears  are  my  greatest  consola 
tion  ;  they  do  reveal  to  me  thy  daughter's  for 
giveness.  Oh !  I  have  acted  so  unworthily  of  my 
fond,  dear  parents,  and  I  am  so  grieved  that  I 
16* 


186  MANOLIA;    OK, 

have  ever  caused  thy  grief!  May  future  enjoy 
ments  ever  swallow  them  up  in  the  oblivious 
past  I  My  father,  too,  (embracing  him,)  thy  loving 
kindness  in  the  morning  of  my  existence  renders 
remembrances  of  the  past  too  dear  to  wish  that 
all  the  past  should  be  buried  in  gloomy  night — 
but  nothing  else  than  your  wayward  daughter's 
remissness  I  Forgive  1  forgive !  And  let  these 
kind,  dear  friends,  by  whom  we  are  surrounded, 
become  your  daughter's  advocate,  and  contribute 
with  her  to  stay  the  sorrows  of  '  discontented 
winter'  unto  the  close  of  life.  How  many  sleep 
less  nights  your  Manolia  has  passed  to  return 
again  to  our  sleepless,  happy  vale — where,  as  old 
Oothlacoochy  says,  the  morn  ever  lingereth ;  for 
the  eve  is  shut  out  for  ever  by  the  western 
mountains !" 

"  The  old  Indian's  philosophy,  my  dear  child," 
replied  the  father,  "  doth  teach  us  an  instructive 
lesson;  not  to  contemplate  the  evening  with 
sorrow  and  discontent,  but  as  the  harbinger  of  a 
glorious  coming  day,  and  at  the  close,  my  darling 
child,  the  undying  effulgence  of  the  sun'  of  God 
will  soften  all  the  discontents  of  winter  into  a 
glorious  summer ;  could  all  of  the  profane  ener 
gies  of  Shakspeare  be  thus  paraphrased,  the  inter 
dict  of  the  moralist  might  never  be  enforced." 
Continued  Neopold :  "  Lost  and  found,  this  is  its 
illustration  ;  and  also,  that  of  '  night  and  morning, 


THE   VALE   OF  TALLULAH.  187 

in  the  night  time  of  our  existence,  the  morn  of 
happiness  ushers  in.  My  brother,  (addressing 
himself  to  lolia's  father,)  this  is  seemingly  a  joyous 
meeting ;  if  adversity  never  crossed  our  path, 
happiness  would  never  be  so  complete.  After  a 
troublous  voyage,  the  calm  is  the  more  delightful. 
Thou  art  so  surrounded  by  peace  and  pleasure, 
that  these  commotions,  which  so  unhingeth  the 
man,  appeareth  strange;  but  a  brother's  love  is 
not  necessarily  over-shadowed  by  the  exuberance 
of  a  father's  love  for  a  darling  child." 

To  which  the  brother  replied,  at  the  same  time 
presenting  his  daughter  lolia  to  her  uncle. 

"  This  is  lolia,  and,  as  agreed,  but  the  '  fac  simile' 
of  thy  daughter  Manolia ;  and  she  will  serve  to  re 
veal  to  you,  that  we  are  not  without  a  standard,  by 
which  to  measure  your  feelings,  and  to  enable  us 
to  fully  appreciate  this  interesting  meeting ;  and 
the  occasion  is  thy  apology  to  all  here  present,  for 
we  are  not  likely  to  affiliate  with  others,  whose 
sensibilities  are  not  attuned  to  harmonious  vibra 
tions  with  our  own." 

"  My  dearest  uncle,"  replied  lolia,  "  my  memory 
beareth  no  testimony  that  I  have  ever  seen  thee 
until  now  ;  but  the  kind  look,  and  resemblance  so 
like  my  father,  denotes  to  me,  that  I  should  have 
been  drawn  to  thee,  as  my  sister  cousin  and  I  were 
at  the  time  of  our  first  meeting  on  the  river's 


188  MANOLIA;   OR, 

shore.  Manolia  loved  me  then,  better  than  ever 
another  loved  her  sister ;  for  she  mistook  me  for 
her  own  dear  self,  and  I  have  been  ambitious  to 
emulate  her  in  every  impulse.  And  now  let  me 
entreat  you,  if  thou  hast  any  experience  of  the 
suffering  occasioned  by  a  separation  from  those 
we  devoutly  love,  thou  wilt  not  consent  to  my 
and  my  cousin's  separation."  (She  continued.) 
"  Rossius  my  brother,  and  Julius,  his  chum  while 
in  college,  have  both  volunteered  to  favor  our 
motives,  not  having  thee  at  hand  to  consult;  but 
we  well  knew  that  thou  wast  not  so  unlike  thy 
own  brother,  as  to  do  otherwise,  than  what  would 
most  contribute  to  thine  own  daughter;  whose 
love  for  thee  I  do  continually  find  fault  of,  that 
it  doth  impede  at  times  her  love  for  me,  for  I  love 
her  so  well,  that  I  am  ever  jealous  of  hers."  lolia 
here  manifested  confusion,  and  to  get  out  of  the 
dilemma  whieh  her  anxiety  had  entangled  her, 
she  continued :  "  But  I  didn't  mean  to  imply  ex 
actly  what  I  did,  rather  by  both  being  always 
together,  you  will  have  both  of  us  instead  of  one 
to  love  you,  and  we  will  be  a  mutual  stimulus  to 
each  other,  to  make  thee  happier  than  thou  ever 
wast." 

"Oh!  papa,"  said  Manolia,  "my  cousin  has  no 
intent,  that  I  should  not  return  with  thee  to  our 
blue  mountain  home;  for  really,  I  do  believe  I 


THE   VALE   OF  TALLULAH. 

have  got  her  to  entertain  the  love  for  them,  and 
our  lovely  valley,  that  so  overwhelms  me  whenever 
my  thoughts  turn  that  way."  Continued  Manolia— 

"  0 !  I  long  to  roam  on  the  mountain  brow, 
Once  more  my  life  to  thy  comforts  bestow ; 
And  gaze  abroad  upon  the  vast  blue  summits, 
Stretching  away  far  beyond  all  limits ; 
And  watch  the  soarings  of  the  eagle's  flight, 
Far,  far  above,  the  tallest  mountain's  height ; 
To  listen  to  the  torrent's  tempestuous  roar, 
Of  more  dulcet  strains  than  the  ocean's  shore, 
And  while  life  last,  thy  forgiveness  invoke, 
Dearest  parents,  ne'er  again  thee  provoke." 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

THERE  are  three  commemorative  events  in  our 
life's  history,  it  has  been  said ;  birth,  marriage,  and 
death ;  and  of  these  three,  the  second  probably, 
is  of  the  most  absorbing  interest,  with  the  refined, 
sensitive  young  female;  for  upon  its  judicious  de 
liberations,  hangs  all  the  issues  of  life ;  and,  admit 
ting  us  to  be  free  agents,  extrinsic  causes  must 
necessarily  operate  with  great  potency  upon  our 
moral  persuasions ;  hence  future  destiny  becomes 
deeply  involved. 


190  MANOLIA;   OR, 

Sensible  of  these  truths,  the  parents  of  both 
Manolia  and  lolia,  though  apparently  overflowing 
with  joy  and  mutual  congratulations,  were  not 
without  a  tincture  of  alloy  upon  the  near  approach 
of  the  crowning  scenes,  which  were  to  fix  the 
destiny  of  Georgia's  most  brilliant  jewels. 

The  day  appointed  at  length  dawned,  with  all 
its  autumnal  effulgence.  All  creation  appeared 
to  be  o'ercast  with  pleasurable  delight.  The 
forest  canopied  over  with  gorgeous  colorings  of 
its  foliage,  vieing  with  the  richest  Turkish  tapestry. 
The  tramping  of  richly  caparisoned  horses,  and 
glitter  of  polished  equipage,  crowded  with  smiling 
intellects,  with  the  richest  paraphernalia ;  music, 
too,  that  would  have  silenced  Orpheus.  The  win 
dows  and  casements  darkened  with  vines  and 
evergreen,  hanging  with  the  clustering  purple, 
and  the  gilded  fruits  of  Hesperides ;  shutting  out 
from  the  banquet  the  light  of  day,  converting 
thereby  day  into  night,  for  the  solemn  occasion ; 
so  that  chandeliers  and  branched '  candle-sticks, 
with  their  many  colored  waxen  tapers,  were 
brought  into  requisition.  And  among  the  boughs, 
hanging  with  exotic  fruits,  to  complete  the  delu 
sion  that  we  were  transported  to  Elysian  fields, 
were  perched  the  many  colored  equatorial  birds, 
with  their  warbling  melodies,  all  tended  to  impress 
every  one  that  the  scene  was  inimitable;  but  when 


THE    YALE   OF   TALLITLAH.  191 

the  fair  heroines,  in  their  simple  white,  were 
ushered  in,  these  things  of  every  clime  and  of  the 
rarest  art,  were  as  suddenly  eclipsed  as  the 
cornet's  train  is  by  the  sun  of  light. 

Rossius  and  Julius  were  now  to  be  blest  with 
the  richest  behest  that  moral  and  intellectual  worth 
has  claims  to ;  and  may  the  fearful  apprehension 
of  the  honored  parents  be  forever  sanctified,  into 
a  glorious  recollection. 

The  conviviality  of  the  occasion  was  well 
adapted  to  one  of  Render's  impulses.  "  Richard  is 
again  himself  in  the  field,"  remarked  Cassanio,  as 
Render  passed  him, — to  which  Render  graciously 
bowing,  with  uplifted  hands,  replied  : 

"  Othello's  occupation  is  gone.  How  is  it,  Cassa 
nio  ?  we  hear  nothing  from  you  as  touching  thy 
favorite  theme,  politics." 

To  which  Cassanio  replied,  "  I  care  not  a  groat, 
either  for  whig  weakness  or  democratic  duplicity." 

Render,  turning  off,  remarked  "  The  youth  art 
under  serious  conviction;  the  little  bright  star 
of  the  Palmetto  banner,  Miss  Kitty  Jones,  will  yet 
convince  him,  that  nullification,  if  not  the  rightful 
remedy,  an  all-efficient  one,  she  certainly  has  it  in 
her  power  to  make  him  feel  the  force  of  the  doc 
trine." 

To  which  Cassanio  replied,  "I  heard  nothing 
of  your  remark,  excepting  nullification,  thy  ever- 


192  MAXOLIA. 

lasting  theme,  if  thou  meanest  to  imply  that  I  am 
one  '  per  se,'  it's  preferable,  young  man,  than  to  be 
as  thou  art,  not  only  one  yourself,  but  astride  of 
so  many  hobbies — Southern  Rights,  Democratic 
Van  Buren  Union,  Compromise,  Nashville  Con 
vention,  Secessionist,  Thirty-six  thirty  or  fight ; 
though  unconstitutional,  yet  being  a  strict  construc- 
tionist,  too  overflowing  with  all  sorts  of  patriot 
ism  to  ever  attain  thy  ambitious  call.  I  would 
advise  thee,  if  thou  wouldst  reach  the  goal  thou 
hast  marked  out,  to  mount  the  old  courser,  the 
Whig  Republican,  and  if  thow  hast  the  heels,  and 
the  head  to  direct,  the  stakes  will  be  thine." 

Render,  turning  off — "  I'll  let  him  alone  for  a 
while,  he  hasn't  yet  lost  his  entire  reason." 

Joy,  content,  "  the  feast  of  reason  and  the  flow 
of  soul,"  characterized  the  nuptial  festival  of 
Rossi  us  and  Manolia,  and  Julius  and  lolia ;  and 
not  many  days  after,  the  Neopold  family  were  to 
gether  in  Tallulah  vale. 

And  here  ends  our  tale — the  halcyon  days  of 
all  restored,  with  interest ;  and  thus  is  the  moral 
of  our  book ;  paradise  lost  is  again  found. 


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